I am 4 weeks into the sale of my ground floor flat in Groby and the EA has just e-mailed to warn that the purchasers are changing their solicitor. The excuse is that the mortgage company will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading lender only deal with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Groby ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.

Lending institutions blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

Will our lawyer be making enquiries concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Groby.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers carrying out conveyancing in Groby. There are those who buy a property in Groby, completely aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical destruction, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Conveyancers are not best placed to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a numerous checks that may be initiated by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which will figure out the risks in Groby. The standard completed inquiry forms sent to a buyer’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a standard inquiry of the vendor to determine whether the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that the property has been flooded in past and is not disclosed by the vendor, then a buyer may issue a claim for damages as a result of such an misleading response. A buyer’s lawyers should also conduct an enviro search. This should higlight whether there is any known flood risk. If so, further inquiries should be conducted.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our home are lost. The conveyancers who dealt with the conveyancing in Groby 4 years ago are no longer around. What are my next steps?

As long as the title is registered the details of your proprietorship will be evidenced by HMLR with a Title Number. It is possible to execute a search at the Land Registry, locate your property and obtain current copies of the Registered Entries for less than a fiver. If the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually retain a file duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be ordered for £20 inclusive of VAT.

Am I right to be suspicious that brokers that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use an online conveyancing firm rather than a High Street Groby conveyancing practice?

As with lots of service providers, often recommendations from connections can be extremely useful or valuable. But there are many players in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, mortgage brokers and banks may recommend conveyancers to appoint. Sometimes the lawyers might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but occasionally there might be a commercial relationship behind the endorsement. You have the discretion to appoint your preferred conveyancer. Don't forget that many lenders specify a panel list of solicitors you have to use for the lender aspect of your transaction.

I've found a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Groby. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Groby are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Groby in which case you should be looking for a Groby conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer will report to you on the legal implications.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Groby - Sample of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Its a good idea to discover as much as possible about the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the owner of a leasehold property you are often in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to day to day issues such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Ask other people what they think of their management. On a final note, find out the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the managing agents and precisely how they are spending that money. What restrictions exist in the Groby Lease? You should be aware that where the lease has no more than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the value of the property. It is worth checking with your mortgage company that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will probably need a lease extension at some point and it is worth finding out what this would cost. Remember, in most cases you will be required to have been the owner of the premises for a couple of years in order to be eligible to extend the lease.