I am one month into the sale of my flat in Ketton and the EA has just e-mailed to advise that the buyers are changing their law firm. The reason given is that the bank will only engage with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a major lender only deal with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in Ketton ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms they are content to work with, but in recent years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for decades.

Mortgage companies blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices 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 buyers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

Last November we completed a house move in Ketton. We have since encountered a number of problems with the house which we believe were missed in the conveyancing searches. Do we have any recourse? Can you clarify the type of searches that should have been conducted for conveyancing in Ketton?

It is not clear from the question as what problems have arisen and if they are unique to conveyancing in Ketton. Conveyancing searches and due diligence initiated as part of the legal transfer of property are carried out to help avoid problems. As part of the process, a seller completes a document called a SPIF. answers ends up being inaccurate, then you may have a claim against the owner for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Ketton.

In what way can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my commercial premises in Ketton and how can your lawyers assist?

The particular law that you refer to gives protection to business lessees, granting the dueness to make a request to court for a continuation of occupancy when the lease reaches an end. There are certain specified grounds that a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are complex. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Ketton is one of our numerous locations in which the firms we work with are based

I need to retain a conveyancing solicitor for my conveyancing in Ketton. I have discover a web site which seems to have the perfect answer If there is a chance to get all formalities done via email that would be ideal. Should I be wary? What should out be looking out for?

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?

To what extent are Ketton conveyancing solicitors under an obligation to the Law Society to publish transparent conveyancing figures?

Contained within the Solicitors Code of Conduct are specific rules and regulations as to how the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) allow solicitors to publicise their charges to clients.The Law Society have a practice note giving advice on how to publicise transparent charges to avoid breaching any such rule. Practice notes are not legal advice issued by the Law Society and is not to be regarded as the only standard of good practice a conveyancing solicitor should adhere to. The Practice Note does, however, constitute the Law Society’s perspective of acceptable practice for publicising conveyancing charges, and accordingly it’s a recommended read for any solicitor or conveyancer in Ketton or across England and Wales.