My wife and I are purchasing a flat in Cheam. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a solicitor? On completion day we will need to deposit funds into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our deposit?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

My stepmother pointed out to me me that in buying a property in Cheam there could be a number of restrictions limiting what one can do in terms of external alterations to the property. Is this right?

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

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Nationwide, do Cheam solicitors have to pay an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are not aware of any bank fees to be on their panel, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our property are lost. The conveyancers who did the conveyancing in Cheam 10 years ago are no longer around. What are my next steps?

As long as you have a registered title the details of your proprietorship will be evidenced by the Land Registry under a Title Number. It is easy to perform a search at the Land Registry, identify your house and get up to date copies of the property title for less than a fiver. If the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually retain a file copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be obtained for £20 inclusive of VAT.

We're first time buyers - agreed a price, yet the property agent informed us that the owners will only move forward if we use the agent's recommended solicitors as they want an ‘expedited deal’. Our preferred option is to instruct a local conveyancer used to conveyancing in Cheam

It is improbable the owners are driving this. If they desire ‘a quick sale', alienating a genuine purchaser is going to damage their objectives. Avoid the agents and go straight to the sellers and explain that (a)you are motivated purchasers (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you are chain free (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you intend to instruct your preferred Cheam conveyancing solicitors - not the ones that will give the estate agent a commission or hit his conveyancing thresholds demanded by corporate headquarters.

I own a leasehold flat in Cheam. Conveyancing and Leeds Building Society mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing practitioner in Cheam who previously acted has now retired. Do I pay?

First make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a Cheam conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

After months of correspondence we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Cheam. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

if there is a absentee freeholder or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the LVT to calculate the price payable.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Cheam residence is 33 The Maisonettes Alberta Avenue in June 2014. the Tribunal decided that the premium payable for the grant of a new lease be the sum of £20,680 (Twenty Thousand six hundred and eighty pounds). This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 60.43 years.

Is it true that a Cheam conveyancing practice has court proceedings brought against them by a client for not carrying out the right conveyancing investigations?

Our attention has not be brought to such a Cheam conveyancing matter but according to a recent report, a couple purchasing a house in Cumbria successfully sued their conveyancer due to development plans to erect a wind farm failing to be picked up in conveyancing searches.

If you are buying in Cheam It is important that your lawyer conduct all Cheam conveyancing searches needed to ensure you have relevant and up to date information ahead of acquiring a property.