Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Market Harborough is not identified on my mortgage company's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of the firm’s conveyancing?

It would not be wise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator revealed that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Market Harborough conveyancing practice and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.

I am aiming to move house in December. Will my conveyancing solicitor update the removal company on the completion day. On a separate note, can you recommend a removal company in Market Harborough. Conveyancing firm was chosen before I stumbled across your site.

On the afternoon of completion you can pick up the house keys from the property agent however this should only occur when the sellers solicitors confirm to the agent that they have the completion monies and the keys can be passed over. You can inform the removal men that you are ready to move in. We do not suggest a particular removal organisation but can help you find a residential property solicitor in Market Harborough or a firm with expertise in conveyancing in Market Harborough.

Are all Market Harborough Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Kent Reliance conveyancing list of approved firms?

Some major lenders now utilise the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however is 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 solicitors wishing to remain on their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.

My husband and I are in the throws of looking at flats in Market Harborough and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it too early to have a solicitor in place? I intend to finance via a home loan with Leeds Building Society.

You should start obtaining conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the estate agent. Given that you are getting a mortgage with Leeds Building Society, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel.

I used Wolstenholmes several years ago for my conveyancing in Market Harborough. Now, I need my documents however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down 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 Market Harborough of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Market Harborough. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Market Harborough Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should consider before buying

Plenty Market Harborough leasehold flats will have a service bill for the upkeep of the building set on behalf of the freeholder. Where you buy the apartment you will have to meet this liability, usually in instalments accross the year. This can be anything from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built blocks. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge to be met annual, ordinarily this is not a large figure, say approximately £25-£75 but you need to enquire it because occasionally it can be prohibitively expensive. What is the name of the managing agents? This question is important as a) areas can result in problems in the building as the common areas may start to deteriorate if repairs are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the managing agents you will want to have all the details

My work colleague mentioned that when selecting a conveyancing firm they must be approved by your mortgage company. It happens to be my first house move but I have an offer in principle from Halifax and I already have a local conveyancing solicitor in Market Harborough at the ready. Does Virgin Money require an approved conveyancer to be instructed? Does a list of panel conveyancers even exist for my conveyancing in Market Harborough?

You should choose a solicitor that is on the Virgin Money panel. The first thing to do is call your chosen Market Harborough conveyancing solicitor and ask if they are on the Virgin Money panel. If they are not on the panel you have a couple of options open to you here:

• Carry on with your chosen Market Harborough conveyancer but Virgin Money will need to instruct a solicitor from their approved list. This will result in additional fees together with likely frustration.
• Choose a new solicitor to conduct the conveyancing, not forgetting to check that they are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.
• Convince your solicitor to do everything within their powers to get accepted on the Virgin Money panel of solicitors.