I had intended to instruct a property lawyer in Byfleet for our house move. Our broker informed us that our mortgage company The Royal Bank of Scotland won't deal with them. Why is this not regarded as unfair competition?

A bank will require an approved solicitor act for it. Borrowers are liable to meet the cost of this. Do use our database to find a solicitor to carry conveyancing in Byfleet on the The Royal Bank of Scotland conveyancing panel.

Forgive me if this question is silly but I am unexperienced as a first time buyer of a two bedroom flat in Byfleet. Do I receive the keys to the premises on the completion date from my lawyer? If this is the case, I will find a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Byfleet?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will electronically transfer the completion advance to the vendor’s solicitors, and once they have received this, you should be able to collect the keys from the Estate Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this occurs early afternoon.

Is it the case that all Byfleet solicitors on the Aldermore conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Aldermore approved list of solicitors they would need to be regulated by the SRA. The majority of banks do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Byfleet off the council. I have a mortgage offer with Co-operative. 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 Co-operative, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Co-operative conveyancing panel.

Should my lawyer be raising enquiries about flooding during the conveyancing in Byfleet.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers carrying out conveyancing in Byfleet. There are those who acquire a property in Byfleet, fully expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, but there are a number of searches that may be carried out by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which can give them a better understanding of the risks in Byfleet. The conventional set of property information forms sent to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) contains a standard question of the owner to discover whether the premises has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred and is not notified by the owner, then a purchaser could issue a compensation claim resulting from an inaccurate answer. A purchaser’s lawyers will also commission an enviro search. This should reveal whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional investigations will need to be conducted.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our home can not be found. The lawyers who conducted the conveyancing in Byfleet 5 years ago are no longer around. What are my options?

As long as the title is registered the details of your proprietorship will be recorded by HMLR with a Title Number. It is possible to carry out a search at the Land Registry, find your property and secure up to date copies of the property title for a small fee. Where the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will in most cases hold a file copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for a small fee.

I decided to have a survey done on a house in Byfleet ahead of instructing lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. My surveyor has said that some lenders will not grant a loan on such a property.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. If you contact us we can look into this further via the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Byfleet. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Byfleet especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Byfleet.