I am 3 weeks into the sale of my house in Page Green and the EA has just called to say that the purchasers are swapping solicitor. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only engage with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a leading mortgage company only engage with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Page Green ?

Banks have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in recent years big names such as Lloyds Banking Group, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.

Lenders point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms 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. Your buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

I am in a contract race with another prospective purchaser for a property in Page Green. What can I do to expedite matters?

First, If you are under time constraints for your conveyancing we would recommend that your solicitor is familiar with the location as they will benefit local connections and intelligence. It is even conceivable that they would have conducted otherproperties in the same road. You would be best advised to use a Page Green conveyancing lawyer. Second, check that the conveyancing firm is on the on the approved list for your mortgage company. It is claimed that nearly one in five of Page Green conveyancing transactions are suspended or jeopardised after finding out that a buyer’s solicitor was not on their banks panel. In many cases this discovery resulted in the home move being held up by almost three weeks. It is believed that this issue affects in the region of one hundred thousand home moves every year. Almost all Page Green conveyancing firms can not act for certain mortgage companies so do check as early as possible.

At what point does exchange of contracts occur in purchase conveyancing in Page Green and am I required to attend the conveyancers branch?

If you are near to our conveyancing solicitors in Page Green you are invited in to sign contracts. That being said, the lender approved solicitors we work with provide countrywide coverage for conveyancing and provide just as detailed and professional a job for you when dealing with you digitally. The signing of the contract is not the important part. Signing on the dotted line simply enables the conveyancer to exchange contracts when the time is right, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The procedure is is usually a five minute process, although where a lengthy "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Page Green)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.

A friend informed me that in purchasing a property in Page Green there may be a number of restrictions prohibiting external alterations to a property. Is this right?

There are anumerous of properties in Page Green which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Page Green should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

When it comes to lenders such as Skipton, do Page Green conveyancers incur an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?

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

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Page Green off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Leeds Building Society. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Leeds Building Society, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the disposal of our £275,000 apartment in Page Green next week. The management company has quoted £336 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Page Green?

Page Green conveyancing on leasehold apartments usually necessitates the buyer’s solicitor sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to such questions the majority will be content to do so. They are at liberty to levy a reasonable charge for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it is in excess of £800. The administration charge required by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in respect of administration fees, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality one has little option but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

Following months of correspondence we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Page Green. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Page Green conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Page Green residence is 22 Wakefield Road in January 2012. Following a vesting order Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court under section 26 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 on 9th May 2011 the Tribunal decided that the price that the Applicant for the freehold interest should pay is £17,400 This case related to 2 flats. The unexpired lease term was 74.13 years.