We chose a Southall based solicitor for our conveyancing in Southall yesterday. Looking through the small print I noteI am on the hook for charges even where the transaction does not complete. Would I be best advised to select an internet lawyer who offer no-sale-no-fee conveyancing in Southall?

Generally there is a concession along the lines that if "No Sale No Fee" is advertised then the fee levels will tend to be be more expensive to cover the cases that do not proceed. Do bear in mind that these schemes rarely protect you from outlay such as Southall conveyancing search costs.

Can you help? My Southall conveyancer is assuring me that he has toconduct Southall conveyancing searches stemming from the fact thatthe firm are on the Lloydssolicitor panel. These Southall searches cost a lot of money can this be avoided?

Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. Given that you are taking out a loan with a mortgage company your solicitor has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your solicitor would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your lender’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook conditions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Southall conveyancing searches.

I am helping my aunt sell her flat in Southall. Will the conveyancing solicitor commission an EPC or should I organise this?

Following the demise of Home Packs, energy performance certificates was maintained a compulsory part of selling a property. An EPC needs to be to hand before the property is placed on the market. It is not a task that lawyers ordinarily organise. Where you are using a Southall conveyancing solicitor they may be able to arrange EPC’s due to their relationships with reputable Southall assessors

Can I be sure that the Southall conveyancing solicitor on the UBS panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Southall obtaining recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always suggest that you speak with the lawyer carrying out your transaction.

Two weeks ago we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Leeds Building Society. Southall conveyancing practitioners have been selected. How long does it take for Leeds Building Society to send the offer to the conveyancer?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Leeds Building Society done the survey? Have you advised Leeds Building Society as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on last month in what should have been a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Southall is the location of the property. Is there any advice you can give?

Flying freeholds in Southall are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Southall you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Southall may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.

Completion is due on the sale of our £450,000 flat in Southall in seven days. The freeholder has quoted £324 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Southall?

Southall conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally necessitates administration charges invoiced by landlords agents :

Completing conveyancing due diligence enquiries Where consent is required before sale in Southall Supplying insurance information Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Southall leasehold property is £350. For Southall conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to provide answers.

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord to extend my lease without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on such matters? Can you recommend a Southall conveyancing firm to help?

if there is a absentee freeholder or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to make a decision on the sum to be paid.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Southall flat is 33 Barbican Road in January 2013. The Tribunals calculation of the lease extension premium payable was £17,592. This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 55.12 years.