I am in the process of selling my home in Accrington and the EA has just called to advise that the buyers are changing their property lawyer. The reason given is that the mortgage company will only deal with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a major mortgage company only deal with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Accrington ?

Banks have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as HSBC, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 25 years.

Mortgage companies point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been narrowed 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 being contacted daily by practices 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. The buyers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

Completed the sale of my flat in Accrington last April yet the purchaser is e-mailing me to say her lawyer is waiting to hear from mysolicitor. What are the post completion sale legalities now that I have sold?

After completion of your house sale your conveyancer should deliver the transfer documentation and all supplemental paperwork to the buyer’s lawyers. If applicable, your lawyer should also confirm that the legal charge in favour of the lender has been discharged to the buyers conveyancers. There is unlikely to be post completion steps specific conveyancing in Accrington.

Do I need to take out insurance to cover chancel repairs when acquiring a residence in Accrington?

Unless a previous purchase of the house completed after 12 October 2013 you can assume that conveyancing practitioners handling conveyancing in Accrington to continue to recommend a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one near me in Accrington I like with a park and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 51 years on the lease. There is not much else in Accrington suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

If you need a mortgage that many years will likely be an issue. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you could ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.

I am planning to acquire a property and need a conveyancing solicitor in Accrington who is on the bank conveyancing panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a Accrington conveyancing firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for the lender who conduct conveyancing in Accrington. We dont recommend any particular firm.