Unfortunately I am unable to travel far from Uckfield. What is the rationale as to why all Uckfield solicitors are not on all bank panels?

Pre- 2008 most mortgage companies had an attitude to risk which is different from today. The FSA in 2010 carried out a thematic review into fraud which concluded: know the conveyancing practitioners on your panel. As a result, banks have since looked to extract more information from law firms about their processes and the individuals employed by them and set certain criteria such as completing a minimum amount of transactions. Many law practices have been excluded from lender panels even though they had 100% healthy track record, no complaints and no claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Many firms were never going to satisfy the criteria of volume of transactions the lenders insisted on.

I own a freehold house in Uckfield yet pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Uckfield and has limited impact for conveyancing in Uckfield 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 many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the establishment of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 will be extinguished.

I am selling my flat in Uckfield. Will the lawyer need to be required to be on the Santander conveyancing panel in order to deal with repayment of my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Santander 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 at the moment.

My wife and I are planning on selling our house in Uckfield and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built land that was not decontaminated. A local lawyer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers are using a nationwide conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Uckfield. We have lived in Uckfield for three years we know that this is a non issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to get confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor already. Are they able to advise? You must check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)

My husband and I are novice buyers - agreed a price, but the estate agent told us that the owners will only issue a contract if we instruct the agent's recommended conveyancers as they want a ‘quick sale’. My instinct tells me that we should use a local conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Uckfield

It is unlikely the owners are driving this. Should the seller desire ‘a quick sale', turning down a genuine purchaser is likely to cause more damage than good. Avoid the agents and go straight to the owners and make sure they comprehend that (a)you are motivated purchasers (b)you are ready to progress, with finances in place © you are chain free (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)but you are going to use your preferred Uckfield conveyancing firm - not the ones that will earn the estate agent a commission or hit his conveyancing figures demanded by head office.