We are planning to acquire a property and need a conveyancing solicitor in Shirley who is on the Principality approved panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a conveyancing firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Principality . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Shirley.

Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a search tool with a view to list solicitors on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society conveyancing panel for example in Shirley?

We are not aware of any plans on the part of the BSA to develop such a tool.

If you had a top tip for selecting a conveyancing solicitor in Shirley what would it be?

Do not opt for the cheapest Shirley conveyancing quote. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

I am purchasing a 3 bedroom semi in Shirley. The intention is to an extension at the rear at the property.Will the conveyancing process involve enquiries to see if these alterations are prohibited?

Your conveyancer will check the registered title as conveyancing in Shirley will occasionally identify restrictions in the title documents which prohibit categories of alterations or require the consent of a 3rd party. Some extensions need local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Many locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.

We had selected solicitors based in Shirley on the Nationwide solicitor panel. They are now charging me a further charge for handling the Nationwide mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Nationwide?

As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your property lawyer is entitled to levy a fee for this. The charge is not set by Nationwide but by your Shirley property lawyer. Some firms on the Nationwide panel will levy an ‘acting for lender’ fee but many practices incorporate it on their overall fee.

My wife and I have hit a brick wall in trying to reach an agreement for a lease extension in Shirley. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

in cases where there is a absentee freeholder or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant legislation it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to calculate the sum to be paid.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Shirley residence is 29 Woodstock Road in April 2014. the Tribunal determined that the premiums to be paid into court in respect of the purchase of the freehold registered at HMLR under Title N0.SY3997 should be £7,217. This case affected 4 flats. The unexpired lease term was 98 years.

Are there common deficiencies that you witness in leases for Shirley properties?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Shirley. Most leases are individual and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain provisions are erroneous. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts. Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the building

A defective lease will likely cause problems when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Halifax, Bank of Scotland, and TSB all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to provide security, obliging the purchaser to withdraw.

Me and my wife have recently had an offer agreed on a property and had meeting on Wednesday with Leeds Building Society for the mortgage. They have informed me that when it comes to choosing a conveyancing practitioner that unless they are on their approved list of conveyancing practitioners then we will have to pay out a further fee of £200. This is is due to the fact that they will then have to appoint a conveyancer to act on their behalf as well as the one we appoint on our behalf and we assume responsibility for their invoice. I have asked Leeds Building Society to furnish me with a list so I can seek quotes only from their approved lawyers but was told that I need to check with each individual lawyer to see if they are on the panel. What would be the best way of going about this?

Ask Leeds Building Society what their panel criteria is for a solicitor.Thereafter ask the conveyancing practitioner of your choice whether they fit that criteria and have they acted on loans for Leeds Building Society in the past. If the answer to those is yes, then just double check with Leeds Building Society. Another option is to make use of our search facility and we may be able to identify a property lawyer in Shirley on the panel for Leeds Building Society.