My husband and I are buying a 1 bedroom apartment in West Moors with a mortgage. We like our West Moors solicitor, but the bank advise she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the lender panel firms or keep our West Moors conveyancing practitioner as well as pay for one of their panel firms to represent them. We consider that this is unjust; are we not able to insist that the lender use our West Moors property lawyer ?

Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your West Moors conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

Do the conveyancing lawyers identified via your search tool perform conveyancing in West Moors by way of an attended exchange?

There are a few conveyancing specialists carrying out one day exchanges. Do call us to receive a costs illustration and details as to availability.

Completed the sale of my flat in West Moors last February yet the purchaser is calling me to moan that her conveyancer needs to hear from mine. What are the post completion sale legalities now that I have sold?

Following your disposal your solicitor should forward the transfer deeds and all additional paperwork to the buyer’s conveyancer. Where relevant, your lawyer should also confirm that the home loan has been paid off to the purchasers conveyancers. There are no post completion procedures specific conveyancing in West Moors.

I am assisting my sister sell her house in West Moors. Will the solicitor order an EPC or should I organise this?

Following the abolition of Home Packs, EPC’s was left as a mandatory element of moving house. An energy assessment must be to hand before the property is placed on the market. It is not something that solicitors normally organise. If you are using a West Moors conveyancing practitioner they might be able to arrange energy assessments due to their relationships with long established local accredited person

I just acquired a house at auction in West Moors. Conveyancing is needed. What are my next steps?

Now that you have legally committed yourself to purchase you should instruct a conveyancing lawyer as a matter of urgency as you now have a pending a fixed date to complete the purchase. All auction property will have a corresponding legal set of papers. This will likely include most,if not all of the documents that your lawyer will need. In the case of leasehold premises the conveyancing papers should provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing paperwork pertinent to a leasehold property. You must hand this to the solicitor working for you at the earliest opportunity. Do make sure that that you have the requisite funding organised to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

I recently had an offer agreed on a house in West Moors. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their solicitor. I paid an on account payment of £200. Soon after, the property lawyer called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Co-operative panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Just had an offer accepted on a new build apartment in West Moors. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.

Set out below are examples of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in West Moors

Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants.