I can't travel far from Widnes. What is the rationale as to why all Widnes are not on all mortgage company panels?

Mortgage Companies normally impose restrictions on either the type or the number of conveyancing solicitors on their approved list of lawyers. Frequent examples of such restriction(s) being that a organisation needs to have two or more partners. As well as restricting the nature of firm, some have made a decision to limit the number of practices they use to act for them. You should note that mortgage companies have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any Widnes on their approved list. Mortgage fraud was the main trigger for the culling of solicitor panels a few years ago even though there are conflicting opinions concerning whether solicitors sat at the center of that fraud. Statistics from HMLR indicates that thousands of law practices only carry out a couple of conveyances annually. Those supporting conveyancing panel pruning question why law firms should have any entitlement to be listed on a conveyancing panel when it is apparent that property law is not their speciality?

Our lawyer has uncovered a defect with the lease for the property we are purchasing in Widnes. The other side have suggested defective title insurance as a workaround. We are happy with insurance and will cover the costs. Our has advised that he must check that the bank is content with this solution. Are we the client or is the lender?

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the risk of a conflict of interest, you and the bank are the client. Your must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the bank can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

I have todaydiscovered that Arc property Solicitors have been shut down. They carried out my conveyancing in Widnes for a purchase of a leasehold flat 9 months ago. How can I check that the property is registered correctly in the name of the former proprietor?

The quickest way to check if the property is in your name, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Widnes conveyancing specialists.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on two weeks back in what was supposed to be a simple, chain free conveyancing. Widnes is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Widnes are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Widnes you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Widnes may ascertain 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.

I own a 1st floor flat in Widnes, conveyancing having been completed 3 years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable flats in Widnes with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 50

You have 50 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.