My wife and I are purchasing a 2 bedroom flat in Ingleby Barwick with a mortgage. We have a Ingleby Barwick lawyer, however the mortgage company advise he's not on their "panel". It appears that we have little option but to select one of the mortgage company panel conveyancing practices or keep our Ingleby Barwick conveyancer and pay for one of their panel lawyers to represent them. This seems very unfair; can we not demand that the lender use our Ingleby Barwick conveyancing practitioner ?

Unfortunately,no. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Ingleby Barwick conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

It is is a decade since I bought my home in Ingleby Barwick. Conveyancing lawyers have just been instructed on the sale but I can't track down my title documents. Is this a major issue?

You need not be too concerned. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be retained by the lender or they could be in the possession of the lawyers who acted in your purchase. Secondly the chances are that the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors procuring up to date copy of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Ingleby Barwick relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.

I am planning to acquire a flat and need a conveyancing solicitor in Ingleby Barwick who is on the Clydesdale conveyancing. Can you recommend a local conveyancing firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Clydesdale in certain locations such as Ingleby Barwick. We dont recommend any particular firm.

Should our solicitor be raising enquiries regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in Ingleby Barwick.

Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers dealing with homes in Ingleby Barwick. There are those who purchase a property in Ingleby Barwick, completely aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or sell the property. Steps can be carried out during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, but there are a number of searches that can be carried out by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which should give them a better appreciation of the risks in Ingleby Barwick. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms sent to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a standard inquiry of the owner to discover whether the property has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not disclosed by the seller, then a buyer could issue a compensation claim as a result of such an inaccurate response. A purchaser’s solicitors may also conduct an enviro report. This should indicate if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries will need to be made.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my 2 bed apartment in Ingleby Barwick. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, however I have just received a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

It best that you discharge the service charge as you normally would given that all rents and service payments should be apportioned on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I purchased a 2 bed flat in Ingleby Barwick, conveyancing having been completed in 2009. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Ingleby Barwick with an extended lease are worth £185,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2085

You have 60 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £20,000 and £23,000 plus legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.