Finally the sale completed on my house in Torquay last March yet the purchaser is telephoning every few hours complaining that her lawyer needs to hear from mine. What should have happened now that I have sold?

Following your disposal your conveyancer should forward the transfer deeds and all additional paperwork to the buyer’s lawyers. If applicable, your lawyer must also confirm that the mortgage has been repaid to the buyers solicitors. There is unlikely to be post completion formalities specific conveyancing in Torquay.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as HSBC, do Torquay property lawyers face a fee to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are not aware of any bank fees to be on their panel, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

Can I be sure that the Torquay conveyancing solicitor on the TSB panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Torquay seeking recommendations is a good start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always recommend that you speak with the solicitor carrying out your transaction.

I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in June 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, HSBC are being pedantic. The Torquay solicitor who is on the HSBC conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but HSBC are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do HSBC have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that HSBC have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why HSBC 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.

Should my conveyancer be asking questions about flooding during the conveyancing in Torquay.

Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors specialising in conveyancing in Torquay. There are those who acquire a house in Torquay, fully aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Conveyancers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a various searches that can be initiated by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which can figure out the risks in Torquay. The standard completed inquiry forms given to a buyer’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a standard question of the owner to find out if the premises has historically flooded. In the event that the residence has been flooded in past which is not revealed by the seller, then a purchaser could commence a claim for damages as a result of such an inaccurate response. A purchaser’s solicitors should also order an enviro search. This will reveal whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional inquiries will need to be initiated.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our property are lost. The lawyers who dealt with the conveyancing in Torquay 10 years ago no longer exist. What are my options?

You no longer need to hold title official documentation to establish that you are the registered proprietor of land or premises, as the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.

Myself and my fiance have just had an offer accepted on a flat and had meeting on Wednesday with HSBC for the mortgage. They warned us that when it comes to appointing a conveyancing practitioner that if they are not on their approved panel of lawyers then we will incur a further fee of £250+. This is because they would then have to select a conveyancer to act on their behalf in addition to the one we select for ourselves and we will be on the hook for their costs. I have requested HSBC to supply me with a list so I can obtain quotes only from their approved solicitors but was told they dont have such a list to hand over. Is there a simple way of finding out who is on a lender panel?

Ask HSBC what their panel criteria is for a solicitor.Thereafter ask the conveyancer of your choice whether they fit that criteria and have they acted on mortgages for HSBC in the past. If the answer to those is yes, then just clarify this with HSBC. Another option is to utilise our search tool and we may be able to locate a solicitor in Torquay on the panel for HSBC.