I am nearing exchange of contracts for my house in Crick and the estate agent has just called to say that the purchasers are changing their property lawyer. I am told that this is due to the fact that the bank will only deal with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a big named lender only engage with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Crick ?

Banks have always had an approved set of law firms they are content to work with, but in recent years big names such as Nationwide, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.

Lending institutions justify this action to a rise in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms 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.

Is it the case that all Crick CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Skipton conveyancing panel?

It is true that some lenders now utilise CQS as the kick off point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to remain on their approved list of firms.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Virgin Money, do Crick conveyancing practitioners face an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are unaware of any bank fees to be on their panel, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

Is there a list of Coventry BS panel solicitors in Crick on the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Website?

Unfortunately not yet. There is no such tool on the CML or Building Society Association websites. A small selection of banks make their panel listings open the public online. If you are in need of a Crick property lawyer on the Coventry BS please use our facility.

About to purchase a new build apartment in Crick. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.

Here are examples of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Crick

There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided.

I decided to have a survey done on a property in Crick ahead of retaining conveyancers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the house. My surveyor has said that some lenders will not give a loan on a flying freehold home.

It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different requirements from Halifax. Should you wish to call us we can check with the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Crick. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Crick especially if they regularly deal with such properties in Crick.

My wife and I may need to sub-let our Crick garden flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Crick conveyancing practice in 2003 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Crick do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord cannot unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience suggests that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting consent.

I own a leasehold flat in Crick, conveyancing having been completed January 2008. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable flats in Crick with over 90 years remaining are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease ends on 21st October 2087

With just 62 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £17,100 and £19,800 plus legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.