I am 3 weeks into the sale of my home in Sneyd Green and the EA has just telephoned to warn that the purchasers are changing their solicitor. The reason given is that the bank will only work with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a big named lender only work with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Sneyd Green ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms that can act for them, but in recent years big names such as Nationwide, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for many years.

Mortgage companies blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices 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. Your buyers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

Our nephew is purchasing a house that has just been built in Sneyd Green with a mortgage from . His conveyancer has said that there is a delay in receiving the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. This document is news to me - what is it and who needs sight of it?

The form is intended to provide information to the main parties engaged in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when requested. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

I own a freehold premises in Sneyd Green yet pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Sneyd Green and has limited impact for conveyancing in Sneyd Green but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the establishment of fresh rentcharges post 1977.

Previous rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.

Do commercial conveyancing searches disclose planned roadworks that may impact a commercial land in Sneyd Green?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Sneyd Green will conduct a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers spend in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Sneyd Green. The search result sets out definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Sneyd Green.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Sneyd Green it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can cause delays to Sneyd Green commercial conveyancing transactions as well as pose a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not conducted for domestic conveyancing in Sneyd Green.

My wife and I own a renovated Edwardian property in Sneyd Green. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and . I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Sneyd Green and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing practitioner who completed the work.