My fiance and I wish to acquire a purpose built apartment in Westcliff On Sea with a residential mortgage from Clydesdale.We would like to retain our Westcliff On Sea conveyancing lawyer but Clydesdale says she’s not listed on their "panel". we are left little option but to use a Clydesdale panel firm or retain our local solicitor and fork out for a Clydesdale panel lawyer to act for them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. The loan issued to you contains various provisions, a common one being that solicitors needs to be on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. in the past, most lenders had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could find one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Clydesdale

I am assisting my niece sell her house in Westcliff On Sea. Does the conveyancing solicitor commission the energy performance certificate or do I organise this?

Following the demise of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates remained a required component of selling a property. An energy assessment needs to be to hand before the property is put on the market. This is not a task that lawyers ordinarily arrange. Where you are using a Westcliff On Sea conveyancing solicitor they might be able to arrange energy assessments due to their contacts with long established local providers

When it comes to mortgage companies such as RBS, do Westcliff On Sea solicitors incur an annual charge to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are unaware of any mortgage company fees to be on their panel, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

Planning on purchasing a flat in Westcliff On Sea. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Westcliff On Sea solicitor is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel.

Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that could impact a commercial estate in Westcliff On Sea?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Westcliff On Sea will carry out a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers expend in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Westcliff On Sea. The report sets out definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Westcliff On Sea.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Westcliff On Sea it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately can cause delays to Westcliff On Sea commercial conveyancing transactions as well as pose a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not conducted for residential conveyancing in Westcliff On Sea.

Due to the input of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Westcliff On Sea before instructing lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor has said that some lenders may not give a loan on a flying freehold house.

It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different instructions for example to Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to telephone us we can check via the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Westcliff On Sea. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Westcliff On Sea to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Westcliff On Sea conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Westcliff On Sea conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you make enquires with several firms including non Westcliff On Sea conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions could be of use:

What are the legal fees for lease extension conveyancing?

I am the registered owner of a studio flat in Westcliff On Sea, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding flats in Westcliff On Sea with over 90 years remaining are worth £195,000. The ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease runs out on 21st October 2088

With just 64 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £14,300 and £16,400 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.