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

Some major lenders now use the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their panels.

I am due to exchange contracts on my house. I had a double glazing fitted in March 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, are being pedantic. The Rubery solicitor who is on the conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

I had an offer accepted on a house in Rubery on , valuation was booked five days after, received a clean bill of health. Solicitor retained, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the conveyancing panel. Are entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?

A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

My friend advised me that if I am buying in Rubery I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

This is a search is usually included in the estimate for your Rubery conveyancing searches. It is a large document of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing significant information about Rubery around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Rubery Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Rubery.

three months have elapsed following my purchase conveyancing in Rubery completed. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £215,000. 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.

I acquired a 2 bed flat in Rubery, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Comparable properties in Rubery with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease runs out on 21st October 50

You have 50 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £36,100 and £41,800 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

We are about to buying a property in Rubery. Can our have our transaction price a secret from the likes of Zoopla. How could this be done?

The Land Registry by statute are required to disclose price sold data on the official title for domestic properties countrywide which includes premises in Rubery. The Title Register is an open document, so HMLR would be breaching their statutory duty if they failed to allow access to the register.

You can ask the Land Registry to withhold the amount paid entry yet the response will be in the negative.