I do hope you can assist me. My Widnes solicitor is assuring me that he is legally obliged toorder Widnes conveyancing searches becausethe firm are on the Nat Westconveyancing panel. Is this really necessary?

Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. Given that you are taking out a loan with a bank your lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your conveyancing practitioner would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your lender’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the CML Handbook provisions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Widnes conveyancing searches.

Will our solicitor be raising enquiries about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Widnes.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers conducting conveyancing in Widnes. Plenty of people will purchase a house in Widnes, completely expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or sell the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.

Solicitors are not best placed to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a number of checks that can be undertaken by the buyer or by their lawyers which will give them a better understanding of the risks in Widnes. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms supplied to a buyer’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a usual inquiry of the owner to discover if the premises has suffered from flooding. If the property has been flooded in past and is not revealed by the owner, then a buyer may commence a claim for damages as a result of such an incorrect response. A buyer’s lawyers should also commission an enviro search. This will indicate whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further inquiries should be carried out.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Widnes is where the house is located. Is there any guidance you can impart?

Flying freeholds in Widnes are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Widnes you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Widnes may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.

My partner has urged me to use his lawyers for conveyancing in Widnes. Should I find my own solicitor?

Much as we are happy to recommend a Widnes conveyancing lawyer the best way to choose a conveyancing solicitor is to seek guidance from friends or relatives who have actually used the conveyancer that you are considering.

As a leasehold owner I am liable for a service charge for my property in Widnes. As a result of poor financial planning I slipped behind with remittance. The managing agents agreed a clearance schedule but there is still two remaining in arrears.

I now wish to sell and I am panicking this will jeopardize the sale if I have to pay off the arrears now. I'd like to sell up and subsequently discharge the debt from the proceeds - is this possible?

Do clarify with the solicitor dealing with your Widnes conveyancing but one option may be to arrange for the debt to be passed to the buyers. The contractual price due would be adjusted to reflect the amount of debt they take on. They would then pay the fees following completion of the sale.