I am six weeks into the sale of my maisonette in Pentwyn and the EA has just called to warn that the purchasers are switching solicitor. The excuse is that the lender will only engage with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a big named lender only work with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Pentwyn ?

Lenders have always had an approved set of law firms they are content to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for many years.

Banks point to the increase in fraud by way of justification 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 hearing daily from firms 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. The buyers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

How up to date is your database of Pentwyn solicitors on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel? Do Coventry BS send you an updated list?

Pentwyn conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Coventry BS directly.

I am helping my sister sell her property in Pentwyn. Does the solicitor order an energy performance certificate or it is for the owner to coordinate?

Following the abolition of HIPs, energy assessments was left as a mandatory part of moving property. An EPC must be commissioned prior to the property being placed on the market. This is not something that lawyers ordinarily arrange. Where you are using a Pentwyn conveyancing practitioner they might be willing to arrange energy performance certificates given their relationships with long established Pentwyn assessors

I am the single recipient of my late grandmother’s estate with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in Pentwyn. The Pentwyn property was put into my name in June. I want to move. I do know about the CML six month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship may be regarded the same way as if I'd bought the property in June. Do I have to wait 6 months to sell?

The CML handbook instructs conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you might be impacted by that. How sensible a view banks take of it, depend on the bank as this requirement is chiefly there to identify the purchase and immediately sell or the wholesaling and assigning of property.

Intending to buy a flat in Pentwyn. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Pentwyn property lawyer is on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and found one round the corner in Pentwyn I like with amenity areas and station nearby, the downside is that it only has 52 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Pentwyn in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

Should you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you could request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

We expect to complete our sale of a £450,000 flat in Pentwyn next Monday. The freeholder has quoted £348 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Pentwyn?

Pentwyn conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes ordinarily necessitates administration charges raised by freeholders :

Completing pre-contract questions Where consent is required before sale in Pentwyn Copies of the building insurance and schedule Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Pentwyn leasehold premises is £350. For Pentwyn conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to supply the information.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Pentwyn - Examples of Queries before buying

It is important to be aware if window replacement or some other major work is due in the foreseeable future to be shared amongst the tenants and will materially increase the the service charges or require a specific payment. How much is the ground rent and service charge? Is there a share of the freehold?