I am selling my house in Emersons Green and the estate agent has just text me to say that the purchasers are switching property lawyer. The excuse is that the lender will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading mortgage company only deal with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Emersons Green ?

Banks have always had an approved set of law firms they are content to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Nationwide, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.

Lenders justify this action to a rise in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. 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. Some 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 buyers are not going to have any impact on this.

It is a dozen years since I bought my house in Emersons Green. Conveyancing solicitors have now been appointed on the sale but I can't track down my deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be retained by the mortgage company or they could be archived with the lawyers who oversaw your purchase. Secondly in all probability the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors procuring current official copies of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Emersons Green relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your home is unregistered it is more of a problem but is not insurmountable.

My stepmother informed me that in purchasing a property in Emersons Green there may be a number of restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external alterations to the property. Is this right?

We are aware of anumerous of properties in Emersons Green which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Emersons Green should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

My husband and I are spending time looking at apartments in Emersons Green and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it sensible to have my on ‘stand by’? I am planning to take a mortgage with .

It would be advisable to commence your search sooner rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their contact information on to the selling agent. As you are obtaining a mortgage with , make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the conveyancing panel.

After weeks of negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Emersons Green. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their . I paid an on account payment of £175. A few days later, the called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Will my solicitor be making enquiries regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Emersons Green.

Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers carrying out conveyancing in Emersons Green. Some people will acquire a house in Emersons Green, fully aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical damage, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Conveyancers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a number of checks that can be undertaken by the buyer or by their conveyancers which will give them a better understanding of the risks in Emersons Green. The conventional set of property information forms supplied to a buyer’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a standard inquiry of the vendor to determine if the premises has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred which is not notified by the vendor, then a purchaser could issue a claim for damages resulting from an inaccurate reply. A purchaser’s lawyers will also conduct an enviro search. This should reveal if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries will need to be conducted.

Am I right to be wary by estate agents that I am dealing with are suggesting an internet conveyancing firm as opposed to a local Emersons Green conveyancing firm?

As with many professional services, often referrals from relatives can be most helpful. Yet there are many players in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, mortgage brokers and mortgage companies may put forward solicitors to choose. Sometimes the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but sometimes there is an underlying financial incentive behind the recommendation. You are at liberty to select your preferred lawyer. Don't forget that some lenders have an approved list of lawyers you have to use for the mortgage aspect of your transaction.