My husband and I are purchasing a 2 bedroom apartment in Radyr with a residential mortgage from HSBC Bank.We like our Radyr conveyancing practitioner but HSBC Bank informed us his firm is not on their "panel". We have to appoint a HSBC Bank panel firm or keep our local solicitor and pay for a HSBC Bank panel lawyer to act for them. We feel as though this is unjust; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. The loan issued to you contains terms and conditions, one of which will be that solicitors will be on the HSBC Bank approved list. in the past, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could find 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 solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for HSBC Bank

Does a directory service exist listing Yorkshire BS panel conveyancers in Radyr on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?

Unfortunately not yet. There is no such facility on the CML or Building Society Association sites. A small selection of lending institutions make their panel listings open the public over the internet. Where you are looking for a Radyr solicitor on the Yorkshire BS please use our facility.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Radyr. I have a mortgage offer with UBS. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use 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 UBS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the UBS conveyancing panel.

I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in November 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Nationwide are being difficult. The Radyr solicitor who is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Nationwide are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Nationwide have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Nationwide have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Nationwide may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

We are downsizing from our property in Radyr and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being built land that was not decontaminated. Any high street Radyr conveyancer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers are using an internet conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Radyr. We have lived in Radyr for 4 years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to contact our local Authority to seek clarification that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. What do they say? You should enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same illness)

My wife and I own a semi-detached Georgian house in Radyr. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Yorkshire Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same address. Is it worth asking Yorkshire Building Society to clarify?

You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be 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 Radyr and other locations in 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 enquire as to the situation with the conveyancing practitioner who carried out the work.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Radyr with a mortgage from The Royal Bank of Scotland. The developers would not move on the price so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The house builders rep suggested that I not reveal to my lawyer about the extras as it will adversely affect my mortgage with The Royal Bank of Scotland. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.