My fiance and I are planning to buy a property in Morecambe and have instructed a Morecambe conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. The Royal Bank of Scotland have this morning contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Morecambe conveyancer is not on their conveyancing panel. Please explain?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is normal for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the purchaser's lender. 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 Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your bank 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 don't have to instruct a firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Morecambe solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.
After reviewing moneysavingexpert.com for an affordable lawyer in Morecambe, most comment that I must instruct a CQS accredited lawyer. What is CQS?
The Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme is the recognised kitemark for legal experts in buying or selling property, trusted by some of the UK's leading lenders. Four years ago the Conveyancing Quality Scheme was officially recognised by the Legal Ombudsman. The scheme does not cover licenced conveyancers. Morecambe is one of the numerous areas in England and Wales where there are CQS solicitors.
is it true that all Morecambe solicitor firms on the Santander conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Santander approved list of solicitors they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. The majority of lenders do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the practice would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
It is not clear whether my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have telephoned my Morecambe bank branch on a couple of occasions and was informed it wasn't a problem and they would lend. My Morecambe conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they refuse to lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I simply don't know who is right.
The property lawyer has to comply with the CML Handbook section two requirements for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.
I had an offer accepted on a property in Morecambe on 28/10/2025, valuation was booked five days after, all came back fine. Solicitor appointed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to UBS and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the UBS conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for UBS to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the UBS conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Morecambe?
Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Morecambe. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
In searching the internet for the phrase conveyancing in Morecambe it reveals numerous conveyancersin the vicinity. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right conveyancer for the sale of my house?
The best way of seeking the right conveyancer is through a personal referral, so ask friends and those you trust who have purchased a property in Morecambe or a local estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Morecambe differ, so it's advisable to obtain a minimum of three fee estimates from varying types of property lawyers. Dont forget to clarify that the fees are fixed.
I today plan to offer on a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have just found out that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Morecambe. Conveyancing solicitors have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Morecambe ?
Most houses in Morecambe are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Morecambe so you should seriously consider looking for a Morecambe conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the landlord’sconsent to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer will report to you on the legal implications.
Morecambe Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing
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The prefered form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this situation the lessees have control and even though a managing agent is frequently employed where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders. Is there a share of the freehold? You should be aware if it is no more than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the apartment. Check with your mortgage company that they are happy with the length of the lease. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will most likely have to extend the lease at some point and you need to have some idea of how much this would cost. Remember, in most cases you will need to own the property for a couple of years before you are legally able to carry out a lease extension.