I am in the process of selling my home in Buckfastleigh and Dean and the estate agent has just text me to say that the buyers are switching law firm. The reason given is that the mortgage company will only deal with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a major lender only engage with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Buckfastleigh and Dean ?

UK lenders have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in recent years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for many years.

Mortgage companies point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some are unaware that 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 impact on this.

We are buying a flat in Buckfastleigh and Dean. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a conveyancer? On completion day we will need to send our life savings into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our monies?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

Two weeks ago we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Bank of Ireland. Buckfastleigh and Dean conveyancing solicitors have been selected. How long does it take for Bank of Ireland to send the offer to the solicitor?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Bank of Ireland done the survey? Have you advised Bank of Ireland as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Buckfastleigh and Dean. I have a mortgage offer with Virgin Money. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Virgin Money, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.

I have a renovated Georgian house in Buckfastleigh and Dean. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Buckfastleigh and Dean and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the position with your conveyancing solicitor who completed the work.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Buckfastleigh and Dean. Conveyancing and Chelsea Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1998. The conveyancing practitioner in Buckfastleigh and Dean who acted for me is not around. What should I do?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Buckfastleigh and Dean conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. You should note 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.

Buckfastleigh and Dean Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

How many years are left on the lease? Is there a share of the freehold?

My parents cant seem to find their Buckfastleigh and Dean land registry title on the online search facility. They recall that fifty years ago when they acquired the property there were complications regarding the post code not being identified on some systems.

Almost all premises in Buckfastleigh and Dean should be revealed. Have you attempted a search with simply the postcode. Normally it will identify all the premises inside that postcode. Where recorded it will show up with a title number. Where they bought back in the 70’s it's conceivable it may be not yet registered. The address might still be revealed but with the title number identified as 'na'. In this scenario you will need to locate the original title documentation which could be with your parent’s bank.