My partner and I are planning to purchase a property in Great Missenden and are in fact using a Great Missenden conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. The Mortgage Works have this morning contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Great Missenden solicitor is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?

When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is standard for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Great Missenden solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.

It is a dozen years since I acquired my home in Great Missenden. Conveyancing lawyers have just been appointed on the sale but I can't track down my deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

Don’t worry too much. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be kept by your lender or they could be in the possession of the solicitor who acted in your purchase. Secondly in all probability the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers acquiring current official copies of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Great Missenden relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

I have been referred to a conveyancing solicitor in Great Missenden. I need to find out whether they are accepted on the Birmingham Midshires approved list of lawyers. Could you advise?

The first thing to do is contact the conveyancer and ask them if they are on the lender panel. Alternatively you can get in touch with Birmingham Midshires who may be able to help.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my 2 bed flat in Great Missenden. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, but I have recently had a yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should pay the invoice as usual because all rents and service charges should be allotted on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Great Missenden - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Is there a share of the freehold? Where a Great Missenden lease has less than 80 years it will impact the value of the apartment. It is worth checking with your bank that they are happy with remaining years on the lease. A short lease means that you will probably have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out how much this would cost. For most Great Missendenlease extensions you would need to own the premises for two years in order to be legally able to extend the lease.

I have noted on numerous consumer advice websites that before selecting a conveyancing firm they need approved by your bank. This is my first home move but I have an AIP from Birmingham Midhshires and I already have a high street conveyancing lawyer in Great Missenden lined up. Will Santander insist on an approved solicitor to be selected? If so, where do I find that list for my conveyancing in Great Missenden?

You should instruct a solicitor that is on the Santander panel. Simply ring your chosen Great Missenden conveyancing lawyer and ask if they are on the Santander panel. If they are not approved you have numerous options available to you here:

• Complete the purchase with your preferred Great Missenden property lawyer but Santander will undoubtedly appoint a lawyer from their conveyancing panel. This will result in additional cost together with potential delay.
• Appoint a fresh lawyer to act in the purchase, not forgetting to check that they are on the Santander conveyancing panel.
• Appeal to your solicitor to attempt to join the mortgage company panel.