My solicitor has discovered a defect with the lease for the property we are purchasing in Hawes. The seller’s lawyers have offered defective title insurance as a workaround. We are content with insurance and will pay for it. Our conveyancer says that he must check that the lender is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the bank?

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and the mortgage company are the client. Your lawyer must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the mortgage company 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 conveyancer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

Completed the sale of my flat in Hawes last December but the buyer keeps Skype messaging daily complaining that her lawyer is waiting to hear from myconveyancer. What are the post completion sale formalities now that I have sold?

Following your sale your lawyer should send the transfer deeds and all supplemental paperwork to the purchaser's solicitors. Where relevant, your lawyer must also evidence that the home loan has been redeemed to the purchasers lawyers. There are no post completion procedures just for conveyancing in Hawes.

I am downsizing from our home in Hawes and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being constructed on contaminated land. A local lawyer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the buyers are using a web based conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Hawes. We have lived in Hawes for 5 years we know of no issue. Do we contact our local Authority to get clarification need.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor already. Are they able to advise? You need to enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)

I used Stirling Law several years ago for my conveyancing in Hawes. I now require my file however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing 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 Hawes of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, 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 Hawes. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.

Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Hawes

If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided.