I have just been advised by my mortgage adviser that my Henfield lawyer is not on the bank Solicitor panel. How can I check?

The first thing you need to do is to call your Henfield conveyancer. You lawyer should advise you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your lender.

I own a freehold premises in Henfield yet charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Henfield and has limited impact for conveyancing in Henfield but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges have existed for hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the establishment of new rentcharges post 1977.

Previous rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 is to be extinguished.

We expect to receive a OIP from Lloyds this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Lloyds recommend any Henfield solicitors on the Lloyds conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Henfield solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Lloyds through the process.

The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Henfield. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How do I make a complaint?

Most banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Team at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.

My sealed bid on a property in Henfield has been accepted, the sellers do nevertheless have a dependent purchase. The owners have put an offer on somewhere, however it’s not yet tied up, and are looking at other apartments booked. I have selected a local conveyancing solicitor in Henfield. What do I do now? When do I get the mortgage application with Principality started?

It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses prematurely (home loan application is approx £1k, then valuation, Henfield conveyancing search fees, etc). The first thing to do is ensure that your conveyancer is on the Principality approved list. Concerning the next phase this very much dictated by the specifics of your transaction, attraction to this property and on the state of the market. During a buoyant market the majority of buyers would apply for a home loan with Principality and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they ask their conveyancer to press on with searches.

I used Stirling Law several years ago for my conveyancing in Henfield. I now require my file but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Henfield of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

We are 18 days into a freehold purchase having been referred to a firm by the estate agent to handle our conveyancing in Henfield. I am not happy. Could you you assist me in finding new conveyancers?

A lawyer would have to be really poor in order to consider diss instructing them. Has your mortgage offer been sent? If so you need to make them aware of the new lawyer and have the mortgage documents are re-sent. Your new solicitor ideally needs to be on the banks panel to avoid supplemental costs and complications. That should be your first question of the new solicitors. Our find a solicitor tool will help you find a bank approved conveyancer for your conveyancing in Henfield