I plan on purchasing a leasehold flat in West Croydon. My Solicitor is not listed on the lender solicitor list. Can I still use my West Croydon conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the lender panel?

You will need to use a solicitor to complete the formalities if you require a loan to purchase your property. The conveyancing practitioner will carry out all the appropriate legal checks on the property, make sure that you will be properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the necessary mortgage paperwork is dealt with. One could appoint a West Croydon lawyer of your choice. However, if the lawyer appointed is not on the lender approved list additional costs will be levied as separate legal representation will be need by the bank. Conveyancing panel applications may be submitted, so if your solicitor has not historically sought membership they should take the opportunity to apply.

Can the conveyancing solicitors that you recommend conduct conveyancing in West Croydon by way of an attended exchange?

We do have a number of conveyancing experts who can conduct one day exchanges. Do e-mail us to secure a conveyancing quote and details as to dates.

I am the sole recipient of my late grandmother’s will with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in West Croydon. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in March. I want to move. I do know about the Mortgage Lenders 6 month 'rule', meaning my proprietorship will be considered the same way as though I had purchased the property in March. Do I have to wait 6 months to sell?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook requires conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you may be impacted by that. Some banks would take a practical view as this clause primarily exists to capture subsales or the quick reselling of property.

Can you point me to a directory of RBS panel conveyancers in West Croydon on the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Website?

No. There is no such tool on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association sites. Very few lending institutions make their panel listings open the public over the internet. If you are in need of a West Croydon conveyancing practitioner on the RBS please make the most of our facility.

We previously appointed solicitors based in West Croydon on the Yorkshire BS solicitor panel. They are now charging me a further sum for dealing with the Yorkshire BS mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Yorkshire BS?

Provided it is contained in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your property lawyer is entitled to charge a fee for this. This fee is not dictated by Yorkshire BS but by your West Croydon property lawyer. Some firms on the Yorkshire BS panel will levy an ‘acting for lender’ fee but some practices incorporate it on their overall fee.

Should my conveyancer be asking questions about flooding during the conveyancing in West Croydon.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers dealing with homes in West Croydon. There are those who buy a house in West Croydon, fully expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or sell the property. Steps can be carried out during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, but there are a number of checks that can be undertaken by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which should give them a better understanding of the risks in West Croydon. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms sent to a buyer’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a usual inquiry of the vendor to find out if the property has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not disclosed by the seller, then a purchaser could commence a compensation claim as a result of such an incorrect response. The purchaser’s conveyancers will also carry out an environmental report. This will indicate whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations should be conducted.

I used Action Conveyancing several years ago for my conveyancing in West Croydon. I now require my papers but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down 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 West Croydon of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.