My wife and I are purchasing a 3 bedroom apartment in Lichfield with a mortgage. We have a Lichfield lawyer, but the lender says he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the mortgage company panel conveyancing practices or keep our Lichfield conveyancer and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?

Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Lichfield conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

After reading moneysavingexpert.com for a high-quality lawyer in Lichfield, most say that I should look for a CQS accredited lawyer. What is CQS?

The Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme is the recognised kitemark for legal experts in buying or selling property, trusted by some of the UK's biggest mortgage companies. Four years ago the Conveyancing Quality Scheme was officially recognised by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). CQS is not a scheme offered by the Society for Licensed Conveyancers. Lichfield is one of the many areas in England and Wales where there are CQS lawyers.

Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that may impact a commercial property in Lichfield?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Lichfield will order a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers expend in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Lichfield. The report provides definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Lichfield.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Lichfield it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately may result in delays to Lichfield commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not carried out for residential conveyancing in Lichfield.

I have a terraced Edwardian property in Lichfield. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and TSB. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You should read 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 proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Lichfield and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the purchase.

I have just appointed agents to market my basement apartment in Lichfield. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, however I have just received a half-yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is clear the invoice as normal because all ground rent and service payments will be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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.

I inherited a 2 bed flat in Lichfield, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar properties in Lichfield with over 90 years remaining are worth £216,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2094

You have 69 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 plus legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.