I am not well enough to travel far from Whitstable. Is there a reason why all Whitstable conveyancers are not on all mortgage company panels?

Pre- 2008 most mortgage companies had an approach to risk which is different from today. The Financial Services Authority in 2010 instigated a thematic review into fraud which in summary warned lenders: know the conveyancers on your panel. Accordingly, banks have since looked to extract more information from law firms regarding their operations and the individuals employed by them and set certain criteria such as completing a minimum amount of transactions. Hundreds of law practices have found themselves excluded from lender panels even though they had an exemplary disciplinary record, no complaints and zero claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Many firms found it impossible meet the minimum volume of transactions the lenders required.

I am the registered owner of a freehold residence in Whitstable but still pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Whitstable and has limited impact for conveyancing in Whitstable 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 have existed for hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation of fresh rentcharges post 1977.

Old rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 will be dispensed with completely.

We are selling our flat in Whitstable. Will the lawyer need to be on the Nationwide conveyancing panel in order to deal with the discharge of my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Nationwide conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their conditions fairly frequently in recent years.

Taking into account that I will soon part with £400,000 on a terraced house in Whitstable I would like to have a conversation with the solicitor regarding thehouse move prior to appointing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

We could not agree more - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you first talking to the lawyer who will be doing your conveyancing in Whitstable.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is an important person, not a case number. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are calculated and presented to you for your conveyancing in Whitstable should be the figure that you end up paying.

Online research suggests that Whitstable solicitors are more expensive than licensed conveyancers in Whitstable when it comes to purchasing a house. So is it better if I use a conveyancer or a solicitor where I am purchasing a house in Whitstable.

When it comes to conveyancing in Whitstable the costs are unlikely to vary dramatically depending on whether the legal expert is a licenced conveyancer or solicitor.