I am in the process of selling my apartment in Ventnor and the EA has just called to warn that the buyers are appointing a new conveyancer. The excuse is that the lender will only engage with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a big named lender only engage with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Ventnor ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in the past few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for more than 15 years.

Lenders blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – 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 says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some 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. Your buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

We are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our property in Ventnor and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was constructed on contaminated land. Any local lawyer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers used a nationwide conveyancing firm rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Ventnor. We have lived in Ventnor for six years we know of no issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to seek clarification that there is no issue.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing lawyer already. What do they say? You should enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same illness)

Just had an offer accepted on a new build apartment in Ventnor. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.

Set out below are examples of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Ventnor

Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Ventnor I like with a park and railway links in the vicinity, however it's only got 51 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Ventnor in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you can ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.

Is it possible to swap firm as I need to select one who is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. I instructed a family conveyancing solicitor in Ventnor five minutes from me but he is not approved by Aldermore

We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in Ventnor on the Aldermore panel. Please note that the property lawyers that we list do not pay us a referral fee if you instruct them and are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who regulate all conveyancing solicitors in Ventnor. Using the find a conveyancing solicitor tool on this page, you can contrast charges for conveyancing solicitors in Ventnor and beyond.