Please help. My Hull West conveyancer is assuring me that he has toconduct Hull West conveyancing searches resulting from the fact thatthe firm are on the Nat Westsolicitor panel. Is this really necessary?

Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. As you are taking a mortgage with a mortgage company your solicitor has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your conveyancing practitioner would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook requirements . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Hull West conveyancing searches.

I am purchasing a flat and need a conveyancing solicitor in Hull West who is on the Godiva Mortgages Ltd approved. Can you recommend a local firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Godiva Mortgages Ltd in certain locations such as Hull West. We dont recommend any particular firm.

Do I need to pay for insurance to protect me from financial exposure to chancel repairs when buying a residence in Hull West?

Unless a prior purchase of the premises took place after 12 October 2013 you can take it that lawyers conducting conveyancing in Hull West to remain encouraging a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.

Me and my brother own a 4 bedroom Victorian house in Hull West. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Alliance & Leicester . I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Hull West and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.

Me and my husband are first time buyers just having agreed a price on a property in Hull West, and are now looking to get solicitors instructed. We have used the various comparison tools and the results are from all over the the UK. Is it essential to have a Hull West conveyancer local to our prospective property? I am fine to do all the communicating over the internet, but I am thinking at some stage we may need to attend the property lawyer's office to sign papers?

Usually there is no need to physically visit the office of your conveyancer, they can post any relevant papers to you, which you can sign and send back. Many home movers nevertheless opt to use a locally based solicitor, but it is not essential for conveyancing in Hull West.