My wife and I are about to exchange buying a property in Ludlow but as a consequence of wreckage from a small fire at the property I have was able negotiate compensation from the vendor in the sum of six thousand pounds taking the form of a reduction in the price. I had intended this to be addressed as part of amending the contract yet Nationwide are not allowing this. Should they have been notified?

The conveyancer that is on a Nationwide approved list is required to disclose to Nationwide of any variations to the sale price. If you were to refuse your property lawyer to notify the price change to Nationwide then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Nationwide and you would have to appoint a new solicitor for your conveyancing in Ludlow.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Clydesdale, do Ludlow property lawyers have to pay an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?

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

We were going to get a AIP from Aldermore this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Aldermore recommend any Ludlow solicitors on the Aldermore conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

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

My partner and I are spending time viewing houses in Ludlow and I am about to put in an offer. Is it best to have a property lawyer on ‘stand by’? I intend to finance via a home loan with Aldermore.

It would be advisable to instigate your search sooner rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their contact information on to the estate agent. Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Aldermore, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel.

Me and my brother own a terraced Victorian property in Ludlow. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Bank of Scotland. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Ludlow and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also check the situation with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the purchase.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Ludlow with the aid of help to buy. The sellers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative suggested that I not to tell my solicitor about this deal as it would put at risk my loan with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the sale of our £175,000 garden flat in Ludlow next Monday. The managing agents has quoted £348 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Ludlow?

Ludlow conveyancing on leasehold flats usually requires the buyer’s lawyer sending questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to such questions the majority will be willing to do so. They may levy a reasonable charge for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it exceeds £800. The management information fee levied by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of rights and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the invoice is technically not due. In reality you have no option but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to sell the property.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Ludlow - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

The answer will be important as a) areas could result in problems for the building as the common areas may begin to deteriorate where maintenance remain unpaid b) if the leasehold owners have a dispute with the running of the building you will need to have complete disclosure Does the lease have more than 80 years unexpired?