I am acquiring a brand new duplex in Prescot and my lawyer is advising me that she is duty bound to the lender to reveal incentives from the developer. I am under pressure to exchange contracts and I don't want to delay the conveyancing. is my lawyer playing by the book?

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

My grandfather passed away 10 months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Prescot. The house had a small mortgage left on it of around £5k. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Bank of Ireland, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?

Given you intend to refinance then Bank of Ireland will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Bank of Ireland mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

Does a directory service exist listing Lloyds panel conveyancers in Prescot on the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Website?

No. There is no such facility on the CML or Building Society Association websites. Very few lenders make their panel listings viewable on the web. If you are in need of a Prescot solicitor on the Lloyds please make the most of our tool.

I'm in the throws of looking at flats in Prescot and I am about to put in an offer. Is it best to have my property lawyer on ‘stand by’? I intend to finance via a home loan with Leeds Building Society.

You should start requesting conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the estate agent. As you are seeking a mortgage with Leeds Building Society, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

I currently have a mortgage with Skipton for my property in Prescot. Conveyancing was finalised a year ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Skipton?

You must advise Skipton in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Skipton’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Skipton will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Skipton directly. You need not do this via a Skipton conveyancing panel firm.

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing solicitor in Prescot for my home move. Is it possible to see a firm’s record with the legal regulator?

Members of the public can see published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors history, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator may monitor telephone calls for training reasons.

Harry (my fiance) and I may need to rent out our Prescot basement flat temporarily due to a new job. We instructed a Prescot conveyancing firm in 2001 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to seek any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Some leases for properties in Prescot do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord cannot unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience suggests that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

Prescot Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

Does the lease contain onerous restrictions? It would be a good idea to discover if there are any onerous restrictions in the lease. For instance it is very common in Prescot leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in Prescot. If you love the propertyin Prescot but your cat can’t make the move with you then you will be presented with a hard compromise. Best to be warned whether fixing the lift or some other significant cost is pending to be shared by the leaseholders and will materially increase the the maintenance costs or require a specific payment.