Is the fact that my solicitor in Houghton Regis is not listed on my mortgage company's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of his conveyancing?

That would most likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly plausible explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator revealed that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Houghton Regis conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.

I have a decision in principle. The bank mentioned the mortgage came with free conveyancing. Is the implication that I have to instruct their panel lawyer as I would prefer to use a Houghton Regis based conveyancing firm?

You should check but the the probability is that give you one of their panel conveyancers if you take up the "fee-free" incentive. Call the mortgage company and see if they offer you a cash alternative. It is not unheard for a lender to give a £250 cashback as an alternative in which case you could put that amount towards your preferred conveyancing solicitor in Houghton Regis.

My husband and I are one month into a leasehold purchase having been directed to solicitors by the estate agent to carry out the conveyancing in Houghton Regis. I am am very dissatisfied with the quality of service. Could you you assist me in finding new conveyancers?

A conveyancer would need to be really poor to suggest replacing them. Has the mortgage offer been sent? In the event that it has you will need to advise them of the new lawyer and have the loan are re-issued. Your new conveyancer should be on the lenders approved list to avoid supplemental fees and complications. So that should be your first question of the new conveyancers. The search tool will assist you in finding a bank approved conveyancer for your home move in Houghton Regis

I’m about to sell my 2 bed apartment in Houghton Regis. Conveyancing has not commenced, but I have just had a quarterly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is pay the maintenance contribution as you normally would given that all rents and maintenance payments 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 subsequent invoice date. Most management companies 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

Houghton Regis Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should ask before buying

Best to be warned if window replacement or some other significant cost is anticipated that will be shared between the leasehold owners and could well dramatically increase the the service fees or necessitate a one off invoice. This question is useful as a) areas could cause problems in the block as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate where repairs are not paid for b) if the leasehold owners have a dispute with the running of the building you will want to have all the details Who takes responsibility for maintaining and repairing the building?

Why do I have to provide my solicitor with a list of items of identification ahead of starting my conveyancing in Houghton Regis?

Houghton Regis property lawyers are duty bound by the Law Society, Solicitors Regulation Authority, HMLR and current AML Regulations to record that the have verified the identity of their clients. It will also be a condition of your mortgage offer. Furthermore they have to complete various forms, particularly those relating to SDLT and need to have information such as your full names, NI number and DOB.