Unfortunately I am unable to travel far from West Brompton. Can you please explain the reason why all West Brompton conveyancing practitioners are not on all lender panels?

Before the recession most mortgage companies exhibited an attitude to risk which is different from today. The financial regulator in 2010 carried out a thematic review into property fraud which in summary warned lenders: know the conveyancers on your panel. Consequently, banks have subsequently soughtmore information from law firms about their processes and the staff employed by them and set certain criteria such as completing a minimum volume of transactions. Hundreds of firms have found themselves excluded from lender panels even though they had an exemplary disciplinary record, no complaints and no claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Many firms found it impossible meet the criteria of amount of transactions the mortgage companies set.

My partner and I swapping mortgage lender for our penthouse in West Brompton with Nationwide. We have a son 19 who lives with us. Our solicitor requested us to identify anyone over the age of 17 other than ourselves who reside at the property. Our lawyer has now e-mailed a document for our son to sign, waiving any legal rights in the event that the flat is repossessed. I have two concerns (1) Is this form unique to the Nationwide conveyancing panel as he did not need to sign this form when we purchased 4 years ago (2) In signing this form is our son in any way compromising his right to inherit the property?

On the face of it your lawyer has done nothing wrong as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Nationwide. This is solely used to protect Nationwide if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave. It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Nationwide had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.

Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a search tool with a view to list practices on the Darlington Building Society conveyancing panel for instance in West Brompton?

Lexsure has not been advised of any intention on the part of the BSA to develop such a search facility.

I am downsizing from my house. My previous lawyers has retired. I am in need of a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. Im based in West Brompton if that makes a difference.

Please use our search tool to help you choose a solicitor for your conveyancing in West Brompton. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with lender approved solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move goes smoothly.

I am looking at a two maisonettes in West Brompton both have in the region of 50 years left on the leases. should I be concerned?

A lease is a right to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As a lease gets shorter the value of the lease deteriorates and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is often a good idea to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage lenders may be unwilling to lend money on such properties. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We recommend you get professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this field.

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such issues? Can you recommend a West Brompton conveyancing firm to represent me?

Where there is a missing landlord or where there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to decide the price.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a West Brompton premises is 5 Wetherby Gardens in June 2014. the Tribunal concluded that the price to be paid for the freehold of the property was £2,369,452. This case related to 5 flats. The unexpired lease term was 38.98 years.