My fiance and I are planning to acquire a property in Bow and are in fact using a Bow conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our property lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Lloyds TSB Bank have this afternoon contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Bow solicitor is not on their approved list of lawyers. Is this a problem?

When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is normal for the purchasers' lawyers 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 property lawyer 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 are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Bow lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.

My grandson is buying a newly built flat in Bow with a mortgage from Nottingham. His solicitor has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. This document is news to me - what is it and who needs sight of it?

The form is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Nottingham conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when requested. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Nottingham conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

I am helping my step-mother sell her flat in Bow. Does the conveyancer order an energy assessment or should I organise this?

Following the demise of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates was maintained a compulsory component of moving house. An energy performance certificate must be to hand prior to the property being put on the market. It is not something that law firms normally arrange. Where you are using a Bow conveyancing solicitor they might be willing to arrange EPC’s due to their contacts with reputable local accredited person

I am expecting a OIP from Nationwide this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Nationwide recommend any Bow solicitors on the Nationwide conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Bow solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Nationwide through the process.

Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Bow. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How do I make a complaint?

Almost all lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are resolved effectively and efficiently. 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.

Taking into account that I will soon spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a property in Bow I wish to talk to a solicitor about myhouse move prior to giving the go ahead to the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

This is something that we encourage - we would be delighted to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you first talking to the conveyancer who will be doing your property ownership legalities in Bow.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is unique person, not a file number. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are provided with for your conveyancing in Bow should be the figure that you are charged.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great figure 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 purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Bow. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Bow ?

Most houses in Bow are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Bow so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Bow conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to advising 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 to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the freeholder’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer will appraise you on the various issues.

After years of correspondence we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Bow. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

in cases where there is a missing landlord or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the LVT to assess the price.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Bow premises is 26 Rhondda Grove in June 2009. The net price payable by the leaseholders as determined by the Tribunal was £3,015.13. This comprised £11,300 premium for the reversion less £8,284.87 costs as ordered by the County Court.