I am in the process of selling my maisonette in Grimsby and the EA has just telephoned to advise that the purchasers are swapping conveyancer. I am told that this is due to the fact that the mortgage company will only engage with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a leading mortgage company only engage with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Grimsby ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms they are content to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Nationwide, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for more than 15 years.

Mortgage companies attribute this action to a rise in fraud as the reason for the reduction – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some 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 purchasers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

What does a local search tell me about the house we're purchasing in Grimsby?

Grimsby conveyancing often starts with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search organisations for instance PSG The local search plays a central part in many a Grimsby conveyancing purchase; that is if you wish to avoid any unpleasant once you have moved into your new home. The search should provide data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 topic areas.

We're new on the property ladder - agreed a price, yet the selling agent advised that the vendor will only move forward if we appoint their preferred lawyers as they want a ‘quick sale’. We would rather use a local solicitor who is accustomed to conveyancing in Grimsby

It is improbable the owners are driving this. Should the vendor want ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a serious buyer is not the way to achieve this. Speak to the vendors direct and make the point that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you are unencumbered (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you are going to use your own,trusted Grimsby conveyancing firm - not the ones that will give the negotiator at the agency a referral fee or achieve conveyancing thresholds demanded by corporate headquarters.

I only have Seventy years left on my lease in Grimsby. I now wish to extend my lease but my freeholder is can not be found. What should I do?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be extended by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to locate the landlord. On the whole an enquiry agent would be useful to carry out a search and to produce a report which can be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Grimsby.

I invested in buying a 1 bedroom flat in Grimsby, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2004. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable properties in Grimsby with a long lease are worth £181,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced every year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2076

With 51 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £30,400 and £35,200 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

We have selected a Grimsby conveyancing solicitor for our house purchase (novice purchasers) and have noticed in the Ts and Cs that they are not governed by the FCA. Should I be worried or is that the norm with property lawyer?

We can't see why they should be. Most property lawyer don't lend money. You should check that they are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, who have strict obligations in relation to funds sitting in their bank.