I am selling my flat in Sandgate and the EA has just text me to warn that the purchasers are swapping conveyancer. The excuse is that the mortgage company will only engage with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a big named mortgage company only deal with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Sandgate ?

Banks have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in recent years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for decades.

Banks blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. No lender will say 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.

I own a freehold house in Sandgate but still pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Sandgate and has limited impact for conveyancing in Sandgate but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the establishment of new rentcharges post 1977.

Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 will be extinguished.

I used Wolstenholmes a few years past for my conveyancing in Sandgate. Now, I need my files however the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Sandgate of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

My husband and I are novice buyers - agreed a price, but the agent informed us that the vendor will only go ahead if we instruct the agent's chosen conveyancers as they are insisting on an ‘expedited deal’. My instinct tells me that we should use a local solicitor with experience of conveyancing in Sandgate

It is unlikely the sellers are behind this. If they want ‘a quick sale', alienating a serious buyer is is going to put the whole deal at risk. Try to communicate with the vendors directly and make sure they understand (a)you are genuine purchasers (b)you are ready to progress, with finances in place © you are chain free (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you will continue to instruct your preferred Sandgate conveyancing firm - rather thanthe ones that will earn their negotiator at the agency a introducer fee or hit his conveyancing figures demanded by corporate headquarters.

How and when do I pay the Stamp Duty Land Tax chargeable for my purchase in Sandgate?

Most property lawyers tend to fill out a Land Transaction Return Form on your behalf as part of your Sandgate purchase transaction for signature. On completion your property lawyer will submit your STL Return Form to the Inland Revenue and - as long as they have the money - settle any Stamp Duty due for you.