I am progressing with the sale of my flat in Ascot and the EA has just e-mailed to say that the purchasers are switching solicitor. The reason given is that the lender will only deal with solicitors on their approved list. Why would a major lender only engage with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in Ascot ?

Banks have always had an approved set of law firms they are content 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 over 25 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 keep an eye on. No lender will say 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. Plenty of firms 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. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

Our grandson is purchasing a new build apartment in Ascot with a mortgage from Clydesdale. His conveyancer has said that there is a delay in receiving the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?

The form is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer 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 Clydesdale conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

My grandfather passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the property in Ascot. The house had a relatively small loan left on it of around £8000. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Lloyds, pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?

Where you intend to re-mortgage then Lloyds will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Lloyds 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 Lloyds 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 Lloyds mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

Will commercial conveyancing searches disclose planned roadworks that could impact a commercial premises in Ascot?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Ascot will perform a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers expend in looking into accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Ascot. The search result provides definitive information 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 Ascot.

For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Ascot it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately can result in delays to Ascot commercial conveyancing deals as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not ordered for residential conveyancing in Ascot.

I need to retain a conveyancing solicitor for remortgage conveyancing in Ascot. I've land on a web site which appears to be the ideal answer If it is possible to get all this stuff completed via phone that would be preferable. Do I need to be wary? What are the potential pitfalls?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?