I have just been advised by my estate agent that my Bampton solicitor is not on the bank Solicitor panel. How can I check?

Your first step should be to contact your Bampton conveyancer. You lawyer should advise you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they may be able to suggest a Bampton conveyancing firm that is on the conveyancing panel for your mortgage company.

We have rather assertive vendors who has insisted on a preliminary agreement with a non-refundable deposit 6,000. Are such contracts recommended for Bampton conveyancing transactions?

There are two primary concerns with signing a lock out agreement (sometimes termed a shut-out contract) is that it can distract from making progress with the conveyancing transaction itself, so unless it requires minimal or no negotiation then it may turn out to be unhelpful. It is not particularly popular amongst Bampton conveyancing practitioners for this reason. A supplemental negative is the extent of the remedies available - a jilted buyer is extremely unlikely to obtain an injunctive ruling by a court to prevent the seller disposing of the property to another buyer, so the only remedy open via the agreement will be the recovery of abortive charges and, in rare situations, the extra payment of penalties.

How do I check that the solicitor carrying out my conveyancing in Bampton is on the mortgage lender’sconveyancing panel? I am looking to avoid the situation of having one lawyer for me and one for thus spending £187.00 plus VAT in further legal charges.

Feel free to make use of the find a conveyancing panel solicitor tool on this site. Pick the mortgage company and type ‘Bampton’ or your location and you will discover numerous solicitors located in Bampton or nearest you.

My wife and I are selling our property in Bampton and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was constructed on contaminated land. Any local lawyer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers are using a factory type conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Bampton. We have lived in Bampton for three years we know that this is a non issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to get clarification need.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You should enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)

I purchased a 1 bedroom flat in Bampton, conveyancing formalities finalised 3 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Bampton with a long lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease terminates on 21st October 50

With only 50 years unexpired 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 suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.