My lawyer in Canterbury is not on the Bank of Scotland Conveyancing Panel. Is it possible for me to use my family solicitor even though they are not on the Bank of Scotland approved list?

Your options are as follows:

1. Complete the purchase with your existing Canterbury solicitors but Bank of Scotland will need to use a conveyancer on their panel. This will inevitably rack up the overall legal fees as well as cause delays.
2. Find a new practitioner to act in the purchase, not forgetting to check they are Persuade your conveyancer to use their best endeavours to join the Bank of Scotland conveyancing panel

is it true that all Canterbury solicitor firms on the Nationwide conveyancing panel are overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Nationwide conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the SRA. The majority of banks do list licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such organisation would be overseen by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

We expect to receive a DIP from UBS this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do UBS recommend any Canterbury solicitors on the UBS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Canterbury solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the UBS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and UBS through the process.

I'm at the point of looking at flats in Canterbury and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it sensible to have a conveyancing practitioner on ‘stand by’? I am planning to take a home loan with Leeds Building Society.

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 details on to the selling agent. Given that you are seeking a mortgage with Leeds Building Society, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in last month in what should have been a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Canterbury is the location of the property. Can you offer any assistance?

Flying freeholds in Canterbury are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Canterbury you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Canterbury may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the disposal of our £275,000 flat in Canterbury in just under a week. The managing agents has quoted £360 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Canterbury?

Canterbury conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually necessitates fees being levied by managing agents :

Addressing pre-exchange enquiries Where consent is required before sale in Canterbury Supplying insurance information Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Canterbury leasehold premises is £350. For Canterbury conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to supply answers.

I purchased a ground floor flat in Canterbury, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2003. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Canterbury with a long lease are worth £176,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2105

With just 80 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.

I note that you have a search directory listing firms on the mortgage company conveyancing panel. Do Canterbury conveyancing companies pay you a commission if I instruct them for my house purchase?

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the lender conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Canterbury.