I am buying a new build house in Creekmouth with a mortgage from Barnsley Building Society. The developers refused to budge the price so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The property agent suggested that I not inform my lawyer about this deal as it would affect my loan with Barnsley Building Society. 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 opted to have a survey completed on a house in Creekmouth prior to retaining lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. Our surveyor has said that some banks may not grant a loan on a flying freehold premises.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different instructions from Nationwide. If you e-mail us we can check via the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Creekmouth. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Creekmouth to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

I was advised by a couple of local estate agents in Creekmouth to choose a solicitor using your seach tool. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to offer your services over and above a competitor’s?

We refuse to give any commission for pointing buyers and sellers in our direction. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission because a client could think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Seventy years left on my flat in Creekmouth. I need to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What are my options?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. On the whole an enquiry agent would be helpful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document to be accepted by the court as proof that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on investigating the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Creekmouth.

I am the proprietor of a a ground floor purpose built flat in Creekmouth. In the absence of agreement between myself and the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the premium due for a lease extension?

Where there is a missing freeholder 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 First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to calculate the amount due.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Creekmouth property is 46 Credon Road in January 2014. On 11 September 2013 Deputy District Judge Price sitting at the Bow County Court made a vesting order that the freeholder surrender his lease and be granted a new lease of the Premises on such terms as may be determined by the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).The appropriate sum as concluded by the Tribunal was £7225 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 69.77 years.

I am thinking of instructing a web based solicitor ahead of a Creekmouth conveyancing firm. Should I ‘stay local’?

Advantages do exist in being able to visit a local Creekmouth conveyancing solicitor such as

• signing documents and and when necessary
• getting face-to-face explanations of issues that need explaining
• the ability to raise concerns if things are not going as expected

When analysing quotes, look out for hidden extras. The majority decent Creekmouth high street solicitors give an all-inclusive figure. Often online companies seem to offer discounted prices, but have burried 'extras' in the fine print.