My wife and I are purchasing a new build flat in Buckfastleigh and my conveyancer is telling me that she has to the mortgage company to disclose incentives from the seller. The Estate Agents are hassling me to sign contracts and I have no desire to prolong the conveyancing. is my lawyer playing by the book?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on a mortgage company panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

Forgive me if this question is silly but I am new to the house moving as FTB of a ground floor flat in Buckfastleigh. Do I pick up the keys to the property on completion from my solicitor? If so, I will instruct a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Buckfastleigh?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will electronically transfer the purchase money to the vendor’s solicitors, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you should be able to collect the keys from the Estate Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this happens between 1 and 3pm.

Can you point me to a directory of Lloyds panel solicitors in Buckfastleigh on the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Website?

No. There is no such directory service on the CML or Building Society Association sites. Very few lending institutions make their panel listings available over the internet. Where you are in need of a Buckfastleigh property lawyer on the Lloyds please make the most of our facility.

I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in November 2007, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Santander are being a right pain. The Buckfastleigh solicitor who is on the Santander conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Santander are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Santander have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Santander have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Santander may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

How simple is it to use the search facility to choose a conveyancing lawyer in Buckfastleigh on the approved list for my lender?

Step one is to pick a bank such as Accord Mortgages Ltd, Leeds Building Society or Aldermore then choose your preferred area such as Buckfastleigh. Conveyancing organisations in Buckfastleigh and across England and Wales will then be identified.

I am 18 days into a freehold purchase having been recommend to solicitors by the selling agent to perform conveyancing in Buckfastleigh. I am am starting to be frustrated with the quality of service. Could you you assist me in finding new lawyers?

A lawyer would have to be very bad in order to consider diss instructing them. Has the loan offer been generated? In the event that it has you need to make them aware of the replacement conveyancer and get the loan are re-sent. The solicitor ideally needs to be on the mortgage company approved list to avoid escalating charges and complications. So that should be your starting point. Our search tool should help you find a bank approved solicitor for your conveyancing in Buckfastleigh

Last March I purchased a leasehold flat in Buckfastleigh. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I acquired a 1st floor flat in Buckfastleigh, conveyancing was carried out in 2011. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable flats in Buckfastleigh with an extended lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease expires on 21st October 2087

With 62 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £17,100 and £19,800 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of 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 clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.