Is the fact that my conveyancer in Surrey is not listed on my mortgage company's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of the firm’s work?

That would most likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Surrey conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.

We are planning to acquire a house and require a conveyancing solicitor in Surrey who is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Can you recommend a local solicitor?

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

The Surrey conveyancing firm that just started acting on my purchase in Surrey have without warning closed. I chose them because I needed a firm on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel and my previous Surrey lawyer was not. I paid them money in advance. What should be my next steps?

If you have an estate agent involved then let them know immediately so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers may be able to assist.

Do I need to be concerned by estate agents that I am dealing with are suggesting a national conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street Surrey conveyancing company?

As with lots of professional services, often recommendations from family and friends can be worth their weight in gold. Nevertheless there are lots of players in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, financial adviser and lenders might all suggest solicitors to select. Sometimes these solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but sometimes there may be a commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You have the discretion to choose your own conveyancer. You need to be aware that the majority of lenders operate an approved list of lawyers you are obliged to use for the mortgage aspect of your transaction.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Sixty One years remaining on my flat in Surrey. I now wish to get lease extension but my freeholder is can not be found. What are my options?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to track down the lessor. On the whole a specialist should be helpful to conduct investigations and to produce a report which can be used as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Surrey.

Surrey Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

How long is the Lease? The prefered form of lease structure is where the freehold title is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this arrangement the lessees have being in charge if their destiny and although a managing agent is often retained where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. Is the freehold reversion owned jointly by the leaseholders?