I was told yesterday by my estate agent that my Enderby solicitor is not on the lender Conveyancing panel. How can I be sure whether this is correct?

The sensible course of action for you to take is to call your Enderby lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your mortgage company.

Is it the case that all Enderby CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the UBS conveyancing list of approved solicitors?

A selection of banks and building societies now utilise CQS as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to remain on their panels.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Enderby. I have a mortgage agreed with Nottingham. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have 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 Nottingham, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Nottingham conveyancing panel.

The mortgage over my property is with Nationwide for my property in Enderby. Conveyancing has been completed some time ago. If I am intending to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Nationwide?

Your original mortgage agreement with Nationwide will provide that you need their approval in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Nationwide’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Nationwide directly. You need not do this via a Nationwide conveyancing panel lawyer.

Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal impending roadworks that may affect a commercial estate in Enderby?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Enderby will order a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers spend in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Enderby. The report provides definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Enderby.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Enderby it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately may result in delays to Enderby commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not conducted for residential conveyancing in Enderby.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a quick, chain free conveyancing. Enderby is the location of the property. Can you offer any advice?

Flying freeholds in Enderby are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Enderby you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Enderby may determine 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 residence.

Our solicitor in Enderby has informed me that he requires identification documents stating that this forms part of his requirements as a solicitor on the bank Solicitor panel. Can this be correct?

Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules require Enderby conveyancing solicitors and licensed conveyancers to verify the identity of the person or body they are dealing with before they can accept their conveyancing business. The Client Care letter that you need to sign will no doubt confirm this. Your lawyer is right that the lender also require certain documents to be viewed. If a you refuse to provide ID verification documents, your conveyancer would not be able to accept instructions from you. Your lawyer also has obligations to obtain certain documents in accordance with the mortgage company's UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements