I am one month into the sale of my house in Penrith and the EA has just called to say that the buyers are swapping law firm. The excuse is that the lender will only deal with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a big named mortgage company only deal with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Penrith ?

Lenders have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in recent years big names such as Nationwide, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for over 25 years.

Lenders blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices 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 sway in the decision.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. Penrith is where the house is located. Can you offer any advice?

Flying freeholds in Penrith are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Penrith you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Penrith may determine 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 residence.

How do I search for a Penrith solicitor on the conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am happy to travel upto 10miles to meet the conveyancer.

Feel free to make use of the search on this page. Please choose the mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Penrith conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have detailed some Penrith conveyancing firms at the bottom of this page and you can ring them to verify if they are on the panel

As co-executor for the estate of my uncle I am selling a property in Newport but live in Penrith. My conveyancer (based 250 miles from meneeds me to sign a statutory declaration ahead of the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Penrith who can attest this legal document for me?

strictly speaking you should not need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally or notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are located in Penrith

I am attracted to a two flats in Penrith both have in the region of fifty years unexpired on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in Penrith. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a period of time. As a lease shortens the value of the lease decreases and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is generally wise to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage companies may be unwilling to lend money on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We recommend you get professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena.

I acquired a 1 bedroom flat in Penrith, conveyancing formalities finalised 1995. 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? Equivalent flats in Penrith with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 50

With 50 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £36,100 and £41,800 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.