I sincerely hope you can assist me. My Repton conveyancer is advising me that she is duty bound toapply for Repton conveyancing searches due to the fact thatthe firm are on the Santanderapproved lawyer panel. Do I not have any options here?

Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. Given that you are taking out a loan with a mortgage company your lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the CML Handbook conditions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Repton conveyancing searches.

My wife and I have arranged a further advance on our home loan from Leeds Building Society as we wish to conduct renovations to our property in Repton. Are we obliged to choose a high street Repton solicitor on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?

Leeds Building Society don't usually instruct a member of their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Leeds Building Society list.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Repton. I have a mortgage offer with Virgin Money. Conveyancing is new to me. 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 Virgin Money, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.

Our sealed bid on a detached house in Repton has been accepted, the vendors do nevertheless have a connected purchase. The vendors have put an offer on a flat, however it’s not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other flats in the pipeline. I have instructed a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Repton. What should be my next step? At what point do I apply for the mortgage with Skipton?

It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses prematurely (home loan application is in the region of one thousand pounds, then survey, Repton conveyancing search costs, etc). The first course of action is to check that your conveyancer is on the Skipton conveyancing panel. Regarding the next steps this very much dictated by the specifics of your transaction, motivation for this property and on the state of the market. In a buoyant market the majority of buyers will apply for a home loan with Skipton and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their lawyer to move forward with the conveyancing in Repton.

I have recentlybeen informed that Wolstenholmes have been shut down. They conducted my conveyancing in Repton for a purchase of a freehold house 18 months ago. How can I be sure that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?

The quickest method to see if the property is in your name, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Repton conveyancing specialists.

How do I search for a Repton law firm on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel? I have wheels and am prepared to travel upto 20kilometers to meet the conveyancer.

Feel free to make use of the facility on this page. Please select a mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Repton conveyancing lawyers locally. We have listed some Repton conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can telephone them to check if they are on the Virgin Money member panel

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Repton. Conveyancing and Leeds Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing practitioner in Repton who previously acted has long since retired. What should I do?

First make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Repton conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Repton - Examples of Queries before buying

In the main the outlay for major works are not wrapped into the service charges, albeit that a few managing agents in Repton require leaseholders to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific intention of building a fund for major works. Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge liability? This question is important as a) areas may result in problems in the building as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate where maintenance remain unpaid b) if the leaseholders have an issue with the managing agents you will wish to know about it