I am in the process of selling my house in Littleport and the estate agent has just text me to warn that the buyers are switching solicitor. The reason given is that the lender will only deal with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a big named mortgage company only deal with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Littleport ?

Lenders have always had panels of law firms that can represent them, but in recent years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for decades.

Banks justify this action to a rise in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The purchasers are not going to have any impact on this.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Nottingham, do Littleport lawyers incur a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are not aware of any bank fees to register on their panel, although some do levy an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Clydesdale. I assume I don't need a Littleport conveyancer on the Clydesdale panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Clydesdale mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Clydesdale mortgage from the register. Clydesdale, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Clydesdale has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Clydesdale has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Littleport. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their property lawyer. I paid an on account payment of £150. A couple of days later, the property lawyer called me to say that they were not on the RBS conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the RBS panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal impending roadworks that may impact a commercial land in Littleport?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Littleport will perform a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers expend in investigating accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Littleport. The search result sets out 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 Littleport.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Littleport it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately can result in delays to Littleport commercial conveyancing transactions as well as pose a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not ordered for domestic conveyancing in Littleport.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on last month in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. Littleport is the location of the property. Is there any guidance you can impart?

Flying freeholds in Littleport are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Littleport you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Littleport may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.

I have recently had an offer accepted on a leasehold flat in Littleport and the estate agent that we are dealing with suggested his property lawyer. She quoted £900 including VAT and disbursements. Does this sound steep?

Don't just go on one quote. You should obtain like-for-like quotes for your conveyancing in Littleport. Then pick one that you are comfortable with and crucially, is on the approved panel of the bank that you have applied for a mortgage from.