I sincerely hope you can help me. My Rowley Regis solicitor is informing me me that he is legally obliged toorder Rowley Regis conveyancing searches due to the fact thatthe firm are on the HSBCapproved lawyer panel. Is my lawyer correct?

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

We have agreed to purchase a house in Rowley Regis. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Nationwide be concerned?

As you are obtaining a mortgage with Nationwide your lawyer must comply with the formal requirements contained in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Nationwide. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Nationwide where a lease does not satisfy these conditions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not restricted to Rowley Regis.

We were going to get a AIP from Santander this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Santander recommend any Rowley Regis solicitors on the Santander conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Rowley Regis solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Santander conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Santander through the process.

I recently had an offer accepted on a house in Rowley Regis. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their conveyancer. I paid an on account payment of £175. Shortly after, the conveyancing practitioner called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Skipton conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Skipton panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I need some expedited conveyancing in Rowley Regis as I have a deadline to complete within 3 weeks. A mortgage is not required. Is it possible to decline from having conveyancing searches to save money and time?

As you are are a mortgage free purchaser you are at liberty not to have searches carried out although no law firm would advise that you don't. Drawing on years of experience of conveyancing in Rowley Regis the following are instances of what can crop up and therefore affect the marketability of the property: Enforcement Actions, Outstanding Fees, Overdue Grants, Railway Schemes,...

My cousin has urged me to instruct his lawyers for conveyancing in Rowley Regis. Should I use them?

Much as we are happy to recommend a Rowley Regis conveyancing lawyer the best way to select a conveyancing solicitor is to seek referrals from friends or family who have actually previously instructed the solicitor you're considering.

Our lender agreed in principle to grant us a mortgage. We have retained a high street conveyancer in Rowley Regis two days ago. Today, our mortgage adviser contacted us saying that the lender said that we cannot use our solicitor as they aren't on their panel. As FTB's, we did not have a clue that the lender had some control over our choice Is this legal?

You are at liberty to instruct any property lawyer you prefer to use for your conveyancing in Rowley Regis however if they are not on the your lender's panel you will have to fork out an extra fee so the mortgage company can appoint their own lawyers. It may be conceivable that your solicitor may apply to get added to the mortgage company list of approved firms. You can use web-based tools such as lenderpanel.com to find a conveyancing solcitor in Rowley Regis on the mortgage company panel. You can go into your local bank branch in Rowley Regis. They can recommend conveyancing solicitors in Rowley Regis on the approved list.