Our lawyer has uncovered a a legal deficiency with the lease for the apartment we are purchasing in Blackwall. The other side have offered title insurance as a workaround. We are content with insurance and will cover the costs. Our conveyancer has advised that he must ensure that the mortgage company is content with this solution. Are we the client or is the mortgage company ?

Even though you have a mortgage offer from the lender does not mean to say that the property will meet their specifications for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. You and the lender are the client. The appropriate lender conditions have to be complied with.

I am buying a new build flat in Blackwall. Conveyancing solicitors are said to be ‘a necessary evil’ but can I do it myself?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Blackwall you will have to appoint a solicitor on your bank's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Blackwall.

I am assisting my mother sell her property in Blackwall. Will the conveyancing solicitor arrange an energy performance certificate or do I organise this?

Following the abolition of Home Packs, energy assessments was retained a compulsory part of moving house. An energy performance certificate must be commissioned prior to the property being marketed. It is not as aspect of the sale process that lawyers ordinarily organise. If you are using a Blackwall conveyancing practitioner they might be willing to arrange EPC’s given their relationships with reputable Blackwall energy assessors

We have agreed to purchase a house in Blackwall. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Leeds Building Society have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that your lender is Leeds Building Society your lawyer must follow the conveyancing requirements outlined in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Leeds Building Society. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Leeds Building Society where a lease fails to satisfy these conditions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not isolated to Blackwall.

I am selling my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in December 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, Coventry BS are being difficult. The Blackwall solicitor who is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Coventry BS are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Coventry BS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Coventry BS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Coventry BS may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

I am purchasing my first flat in Blackwall with the aid of help to buy. The sellers refused to move on the price so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The estate agent advised me not to tell my lawyer about this deal as it may put at risk my mortgage with the lender. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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

Hoping to buy a property located in Blackwall and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Blackwall. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Blackwall area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?

Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Blackwall. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found