I am nearing exchange of contracts for my house in Shrivenham and the estate agent has just text me to advise that the purchasers are changing their conveyancer. The reason given is that the lender will only deal with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a major lender only engage with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Shrivenham ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in the last few years big names such as HSBC, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 25 years.

Lending institutions point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The buyers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

My partner and I have recently acquired a house in Shrivenham. We have since encountered a number of problems with the property which we believe were omitted in the conveyancing searches. Do we have any recourse? What searches should? have been carried out for conveyancing in Shrivenham?

The question is not clear as what problems have arisen and if they are unique to conveyancing in Shrivenham. Conveyancing searches and due diligence undertaken during the buying process are supposed to help avoid problems. As part of the process, a seller completes a document referred to as a Seller’s Property Information Form. answers provided is inaccurate, you could possibly take legal action against the vendor for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Shrivenham.

Can your site be used to find a Conveyancing solicitor in Shrivenham even if I’m not purchasing or disposing of a house, for example if I wish to buy a shop in Shrivenham with a loan from Halifax?

Our comparison service is predominantly utilised to find domestic conveyancing solicitors in Shrivenham but we have recorded at the bottom of this page a selection of Shrivenham commercial conveyancing firms. You will need to enquire with the firm directly to establish if they can also act for Halifax

We are planning to purchase with Earl Shilton BS. We have called around locally yet am struggling to find a Shrivenham conveyancing firm on the Earl Shilton BS panel. Could you assist?

Please do make use of the find a lender approved solicitor tool on this web page. Please choose the mortgage company and type Shrivenham or your location and you will see a number of lawyer based in Shrivenham or near you.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and found one round the corner in Shrivenham I like with a park and station nearby, however it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Shrivenham in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?

Should you need a mortgage that many years may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.