What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Ashton? Is this really necessary?

In order to comply with Money Laundering Regulations any Ashton conveyancing firm will require evidence of your identity in all conveyancing transactions. This is normally dealt with by provision of a passport and an original bank statement or utility account showing where you reside.

Under Money Laundering Regulations, conveyancers are required to check not just the identity of conveyancing clients but also the source of the money that they receive in respect of any matter. Refusal to disclose this may lead to your solicitor cancelling their relationship with you, as clearly this will cause a conflict between the set Regulations and a refusal to disclose.

Your conveyancers are duty bound to make a disclosure to the appropriate authorities should they believe that any monies received by them may contravene the Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules.

My uncle advised me that in buying a property in Ashton there may be various restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external changes to the property. Is this right?

There are a number of properties in Ashton which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Ashton should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Ashton. I have a mortgage offer with . Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with , you will need to appoint a solicitor on the conveyancing panel.

Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Ashton. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I would like to complain about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?

Almost all banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Department at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.

I'm purchasing my first flat in Ashton with a mortgage from . The builders would not budge the amount so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The estate agent told me not disclose to my solicitor about this extras as it would jeopardize my loan with . Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I have been recommended by numerous property agents in Ashton to find a property lawyer on your site. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to market your site over another?

We refuse to offer any referral fee for directing people in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission because a client could think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

I am hoping to exchange soon on a studio apartment in Ashton. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they report fully within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Ashton should include some of the following:

Details of the parties to the lease, e.g. these could be the (you), head lessor, freeholder You need to be advised what is to be regarded as a Nuisance in the lease The landlord’s rights to access the flat. You should be made aware that your landlord has rights of access as well as be informed how much notice must be provided. if lease caters for for a sinking fund?

I bought a leasehold flat in Ashton, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Corresponding properties in Ashton with a long lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 50

With only 50 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £36,100 and £41,800 plus legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.