I am selling my ground floor flat in Flintshire and the EA has just telephoned to warn that the buyers are appointing a new law firm. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only deal with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a leading mortgage company only deal with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in Flintshire ?

UK lenders have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in the past few years big names such as Nationwide, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for more than 15 years.

Mortgage companies attribute this action to a rise in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The purchasers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

Do lawyers ask for an advanced payment for my conveyancing in Flintshire?

If you are buying a property in Flintshire your solicitor will request that you to provide them with monies to cover the search fees. Generally this is requested to cover the fees of the Local Authority Search. If any down payment is as part of the purchase price then this should be asked for immediately prior to exchange of contracts. The final balance that is needed will be payable shortly before completion.

Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a searchable register to to identify solicitors on the Earl Shilton BS conveyancing panel for example in Flintshire?

We have not been informed any plans on the part of the BSA to promote such a tool.

I am buying a property in Flintshire. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Lloyds be concerned?

As your lender is Lloyds your lawyer must check the formal requirements outlined in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Lloyds. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Lloyds where a lease does not comply with these requirements. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not restricted to Flintshire.

I have a mortgage with RBS for my property in Flintshire. Conveyancing was finalised a year ago. In the event that I decide to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform RBS?

You must advise RBS in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of RBS’s mortgage conditions. It may be that RBS will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact RBS directly. You need not do this via a RBS conveyancing panel lawyer.

I can not fathom if my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called into my local Flintshire building society branch on a couple of occasions and was told it does not affect the mortgage offer and they would lend. My Flintshire conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they refuse to lend in accordance with their specific requirements. Who do I believe?

The solicitor has to comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 conditions for your lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

What is different about your site and other online quote calculators for conveyancing in Flintshire?

At this site get a fixed fee costs illustration via a Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer that appreciates the issues of your conveyancing in Flintshire. As opposed to estate agents and many comparison sites we are not in the business of charging firms a fee if you appoint them for your conveyancing in Flintshire