I am expecting a offer of a home loan from Santander. I would like to instruct a Licensed Conveyancer in Whitworth. Does the Santander Conveyancing panel exclude Licensed Conveyancers?

The Santander conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, associated to the CML or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

We wanted to use a conveyancing solicitor in Whitworth for our house purchase. Our broker informed us that our mortgage company Clydesdale won't deal with them. Why is this not regarded as unfair competition?

Banks on the whole imposes restrictions either the category or the number of conveyancing practices on their member panel. A common example of such criteria being that a firm must not be a sole practitioner. As well as restricting the profile of firm, some have decided to limit the number of solicitor practices they use to act for them. Be aware that Clydesdale have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any member of Clydesdale Conveyancer Panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the reduction of solicitor panels a few years ago even though there are mixed views about the extent of solicitor engagement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry indicate that thousands of law firms, including some in or near Whitworth only conduct very few conveyances a year.

I am a sole trader hoping to take over a lease of a shop on a shopping parade. Can you recommend lawyers offering no-sale-no charges for commercial conveyancing in Whitworth for less than £1,200?

We can recommend firms who have an in-depth of experience of commercial conveyancing in Whitworth, including the disposal and acquisition of businesses as well as simply premises. If you are looking to acquire or sell a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail unit or a whole business we will put you in touch with the right firm. As for the charges these will vary based on the structure and terms of the deal. Let us have your contact information or phone us so that we can supply you with a detailed commercial conveyancing calculation.

Should I use a Whitworth conveyancing practitioner in close proximity to the house I am purchasing? We have a good friend who can handle the legal work but his firm is located approximately 350miles away.

The primary upside of using a high street Whitworth conveyancing firm is that you can pop in to sign documents, present your ID and pester them if necessary. Having local Whitworth know how is a bonus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have used your friend and the majority were content that should outweigh using an unfamiliar Whitworth conveyancing solicitor just because they are round the corner.

I have just appointed agents to market my basement flat in Whitworth. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, however I have just had a yearly service charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge the service charge as you normally would because all rents and service payments should be allotted on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I own a basement flat in Whitworth, conveyancing was carried out July 2009. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Equivalent flats in Whitworth with a long lease are worth £202,000. The ground rent is £60 per annum. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2081

You have 57 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £28,500 and £33,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.