My lawyer has uncovered a defect with the lease for the apartment we are buying in Chelsfield. The seller’s lawyers have suggested defective title insurance as a workaround. We are content with insurance and will pay for it. Our has advised that he must be satisfied that the bank is willing to move forward with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the mortgage company ?

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and the lender are the client. Your must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the mortgage company can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

What is the first thing I need to know about purchase conveyancing in Chelsfield?

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Chelsfield or throughout England and Wales is an adversarial experience. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of room for conflict between you and other parties involved in the house moving process. For instance, the seller, estate agent and sometimes the lender. Choosing a law firm for your conveyancing in Chelsfield is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY person in the legal process whose interest is to act in your legal interests and to keep you safe.

There is a distinct ongoing adversarial element to conveyancing- someone must be blamed for the process taking so long. We recommend that you your first instinct should be to trust your solicitor above all other players when it comes to the legal transfer of property.

I used Action Conveyancing a few years ago for my conveyancing in Chelsfield. Now, I need my files however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Chelsfield of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I decided to have a survey completed on a property in Chelsfield in advance of retaining solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. The surveyor advised that some mortgage companies may not grant a loan on such a property.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different instructions from Halifax. If you e-mail us we can check with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Chelsfield. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

I require the services of a mortgage company panel solicitor in Chelsfield. Can you assist?

It is not clear why you need a Chelsfield panel solicitor but in any event, if you can not find one on our search tool you will need to speak directly to the bank to find out which solicitors in Chelsfield are on their panel . If you do find such a firm in Chelsfield not listed please direct them to our site to list. After all the cost is only one £1 a month