I am selling my apartment in Whittlesey and the estate agent has just e-mailed to say that the purchasers are appointing a new solicitor. The reason given is that the mortgage company will only engage with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a big named lender only engage with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Whittlesey ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 15 years.

Lenders point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been stiffened 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 says 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 purchasers are not going to have any impact on this.

We are buying a flat and require a conveyancing solicitor in Whittlesey who is on the solicitor panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a conveyancing firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Whittlesey.

My aunt passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Whittlesey. The house had a relatively small loan remaining of approximately £5k. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to , pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?

Where you intend to re-mortgage then will insist on your using a conveyancer on the conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

I got the keys to my flat on 13 June and my personal details is yet to be registered. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Whittlesey said it should be registered in less than a month. Are transfers in Whittlesey uniquely lengthy to register?

As far as conveyancing in Whittlesey is concerned, registration is no quicker or slower than the rest of England and Wales. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can differ depending on the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry communicate with any third parties. As of today approximately 80% of submission are fully dealt with in less than three weeks but some can be subject to longer delays. Registration occurs after the purchaser is living at the premises therefore post completion formalities is not typically an essential issue yet if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your solicitor should communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have just found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Whittlesey. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Whittlesey ?

Most houses in Whittlesey are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Whittlesey in which case you should be shopping around for a Whittlesey conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your conveyancer should report to you on the legal implications.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Whittlesey - Examples of Questions you should ask before buying

Does the lease have in excess of 90 years left? Make sure you enquire if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. By way of example it is fairly common in Whittlesey leases that pets are not allowed in certain buildings in Whittlesey. If you like the apartmentin Whittlesey yet your dog is not allowed to make the move with you then you will be presented with a hard compromise. How much is the maintenance charge and ground rent on the apartment?