My lawyer has discovered a a problem with the lease for the apartment we are buying in Abersoch. The seller’s lawyers have put forward title insurance as a workaround. We are content with insurance and will cover the costs. Our conveyancing practitioner has advised that he must ensure that the mortgage company is willing to move forward with this solution. Are we the client or is the lender?

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and the bank are the client. Your conveyancer must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the bank can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your conveyancing practitioner will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

My friend suggested that if I am purchasing in Abersoch I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is usually included in the estimate for your Abersoch conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out important information about Abersoch around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Abersoch Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Abersoch.

I used Action Conveyancing a few years past for my conveyancing in Abersoch. Now, I need my files however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Abersoch of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

Just had an offer accepted on a new build apartment in Abersoch. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Abersoch

The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Please provide evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry.

Due to the input of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Abersoch ahead of retaining lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. Our surveyor has said that some banks may not grant a mortgage on a flying freehold house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different instructions from Halifax. Should you wish to telephone us we can investigate further with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Abersoch. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.