I am selling my home in Woburn and the EA has just text me to advise that the purchasers are changing their solicitor. The excuse is that the bank will only engage with solicitors on their approved list. On what basis would a big named mortgage company only work with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Woburn ?

Banks have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in recent years big names such as Lloyds Banking Group, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for many years.

Mortgage companies point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your purchasers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

Is it possible for conveyancing in Woburn to be done within a month?

First, If the seller is applying time constraints to complete it is advisable to make sure that your lawyer is familiar with the location as they will have local contacts and insight. It is possible that they could have handled previoushouses in the same road. You would be best advised to use a Woburn conveyancing solicitor. Second, check that the conveyancing firm is on the on the approved list for your mortgage company. It is believed that just under twenty per cent of Woburn conveyancing deals are delayed or derailed after discovering a buyer’s lawyer was not on their mortgage lender’s member panel. This can often result in the legal process being delayed by almost three weeks. It is said that this issue impacts in the region of one hundred thousand home sales annually. Many Woburn conveyancing firms can not represent certain lenders so do check at the outset.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in Woburn?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Woburn. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

How simple is it to swap conveyancer as I have to retain one who is on the conveyancing list. I had appointed a family conveyancing solicitor in Woburn five minutes from me but he is not accepted by

It would be our pleasure to assist you select a conveyancing solicitor in Woburn on the panel. Please note that the conveyancers that we list do not pay us commission if you instruct them and are fully regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who regulate all conveyancing solicitors in Woburn. In making use of the find a conveyancing solicitor tool on this page, you can compare and instruct different solicitors and conveyancers both nationally and in Woburn.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Woburn. Conveyancing and mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing practitioner in Woburn who acted for me is not around. Any advice?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a Woburn conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Woburn - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

Who takes responsibility for maintaining and repairing the building? It is important to be aware whether changing the roof or some other major work is due in the foreseeable future that will be shared by the leasehold owners and will dramatically impact the level of the service charges or require a one time invoice. Are there any major works on the horizon that will likely increase the service charges?