My husband and I are looking to purchase a flat in Dunston and are in fact using a Dunston conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our solicitor has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Virgin Money have this afternoon contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Dunston conveyancer is not on their conveyancing panel. Is this a problem?
If you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Dunston solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
It is 10 years ago since I purchased my home in Dunston. Conveyancing solicitors have just been retained on the sale but I can't find my deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be kept by your lender or they could still be with the conveyancers who oversaw your purchase. Secondly the chances are that the land will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Dunston involves registered property but in the rare situation where your home is not registered it is more problematic but is not insurmountable.
About to place an offer on a leasehold apartment in Dunston. The selling agents advise that it is usual for flats in Dunston to have less than 75 years left on the lease. I am obtaining a mortgage with Bank of Ireland. Is this going to be a problem if the lease has Seventy One years to go.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Bank of Ireland have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 2/6/2026 the requirements read as follows :
Is it the case that all Dunston CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Skipton conveyancing list of approved practices?
A selection of lenders now utilise the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS membership however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to remain on their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
Is there a list of Kent Reliance panel solicitors in Dunston on the Building Society Association’s Website?
Unfortunately not yet. There is no such tool on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. Very few lending institutions make their panel listings visible over the internet. Where you are seeking to appoint a Dunston conveyancer on the Kent Reliance please use our facility.
I am expecting a OIP from Lloyds this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Lloyds recommend any Dunston solicitors on the Lloyds conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Dunston solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Lloyds through the process.
Various web forums that I have come across warn that are the main cause of delay in Dunston conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the common causes of hindrances during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are not likely to feature in any holding up conveyancing in Dunston.
What do I do if I am unhappy with the conveyancer who undertook our conveyancing in Dunston?
We live in an imperfect world, and is is a fact of life that occasionally matters do not go as planned. That being said there is recourse if you were not happy with your conveyancing in Dunston. This varies from trying to resolve matters directly with them, through to reporting a lawyer to their governing body. If you remain aggrieved you may consider enlisting the help of the Legal Ombudsman.