We opted for a Strawberry Hill based solicitor for our conveyancing in Strawberry Hill yesterday. After carefully reading the Ts and Cs I noteI am responsible for charges even if the movefalls through. Should I ditch them and appoint a web based firm advertising no move no charge conveyancing in Strawberry Hill?

Generally there is a compromise along the lines that if "No Completion No Fee" is advertised then the conveyancing charges will generally be uplifted to offset those transactions that do not go ahead. Do bear in mind that such offerings rarely protect you from outlay e.g. Strawberry Hill conveyancing search charges.

My grandson is purchasing a newly built flat in Strawberry Hill with a mortgage from Leeds Building Society. His lawyer has said that there is a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. What is this document - I have never come across this before?

The document is intended to provide information to the main parties engaged in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when asked. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

I had intended to instruct a property lawyer in Strawberry Hill for our house move. Our financial adviser informed us that our mortgage lenders Alliance & Leicester won't deal with them. Surely this is unduly restrictive?

Mortgage Companies normally restrict either the category or the amount of conveyancing practices on their approved list of lawyers. A common example of such criteria being that a firm must have two or more partners. As well as restricting the type of firm, a few banks have limited the number of solicitor practices they use to act for them. You should note that Alliance & Leicester have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any member of Alliance & Leicester Conveyancer Panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the reduction of solicitor panels a few years ago even though there are mixed views concerning the level of solicitor engagement in some of that fraud. Figures from the Land Registry reveal that hundreds of law firms, including some in or near Strawberry Hill only execute a couple conveyances per annum.

I am using a search engine for the phrase cheap conveyancing in Strawberry Hill it shows results of numerous property lawyersin the area. With so much choice what is the best way to find the suitable solicitor for me?

The best way of finding the right conveyancer is via personal testimonial, so seek the guidance of colleagues and family who have bought a property in Strawberry Hill or the respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Costs for conveyancing in Strawberry Hill differ, so it's advisable to secure a minimum of three fee calculations from varying types of law firms. Be sure to seek confirmation that the fees are fixed.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Strawberry Hill. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such matters? Can you recommend a Strawberry Hill conveyancing firm to represent me?

Where there is a missing landlord or where there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to decide the price.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Strawberry Hill flat is Ground Floor Flat 91 Bath Road in May 2009. in a case where the freeholder could not be traced, the Brentford County Court ordered that the Lease be surrendered in return for the grant of a new lease of the Premises at a premium determined by the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal. The tribunal concluded that the price payable by the Applicant for the new lease of the premises be £15,900 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 60.45 years.