My fiance and I are acquiring an apartment in Kidderminster. My lawyer has never been on on the bank solicitor panel. Am I still permitted to retain my Kidderminster conveyancing solicitor even though they are not on the lender panel?

You must instruct a solicitor to complete the legal work required when you take out a mortgage to purchase your home. They will conduct all the appropriate investigations on the property, ensuring that you’re properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the required mortgage documentation is dealt with. One can appoint a Kidderminster conveyancer of your choosing. However, where the property lawyer appointed is not a member of the lender approved list additional charges will be incurred as separate legal representation will be required by them. Bank panel applications can be submitted, so where your lawyer has not in the past sought membership they should take the chance to apply.

My husband and I are purchasing a newly converted apartment in Kidderminster with a residential mortgage from Birmingham Midshires.We like our Kidderminster conveyancing practitioner but Birmingham Midshires advised that his firm is not on their "panel". It seems we are left with no choice but to instruct a Birmingham Midshires panel solicitor or retain our preferred solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. We feel as though this is unjust; is there anything we can do?

Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you contains terms and conditions, one of which will be that conveyancers will be on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing panel. in the past, most lenders had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could find one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Birmingham Midshires

Will my solicitor be raising questions concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Kidderminster.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers dealing with homes in Kidderminster. Plenty of people will acquire a house in Kidderminster, completely expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Conveyancers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a various searches that can be initiated by the purchaser or by their conveyancers which should figure out the risks in Kidderminster. The conventional set of information sent to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a standard question of the owner to determine whether the premises has historically flooded. If the residence has been flooded in past which is not notified by the owner, then a buyer could issue a legal claim for losses as a result of such an inaccurate answer. A buyer’s lawyers may also commission an environmental search. This should indicate whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries will need to be carried out.

four months have elapsed following my purchase conveyancing in Kidderminster completed. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £160,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the premises from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Kidderminster. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Set out below is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Kidderminster

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 Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. 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.