Our lawyer has discovered a a legal deficiency with the lease for the apartment we are purchasing in Holmfirth. The other side have offered title insurance as a workaround. We are happy with insurance and will cover the costs. Our property lawyer says that he must ensure that the mortgage company is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the lender?

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the risk of a conflict of interest, you and the mortgage company are the client. Your lawyer must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions. 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 conveyancer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

We are buying a victorian detached house in Holmfirth. We would like to carry out an extension to the side at the property.Will the conveyancing process involve checks to determine if these alterations are permitted?

Your conveyancer will check the deeds as conveyancing in Holmfirth can on occasion identify restrictions in the title documents which prohibit certain works or need the consent of another owner. Many additions require local authority planning permissions and approval in accordance building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. It would be sensible to check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

The mortgage over my property is with HSBC for my property in Holmfirth. Conveyancing has been completed 12 months ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform HSBC?

Your original mortgage agreement with HSBC will provide that you need their approval prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of HSBC’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact HSBC directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a HSBC conveyancing panel lawyer.

Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Holmfirth. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?

Most banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.

five months have elapsed following my purchase conveyancing in Holmfirth completed. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £170,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the property from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor for leasehold conveyancing in Holmfirth. I've chance upon a web site which seems to have the ideal solution If there is a chance to get all the legals completed via phone that would be ideal. Do I need to be concerned? What are the potential pitfalls?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Holmfirth conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Holmfirth conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggest that you make enquires with several firms including non Holmfirth conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions could be helpful:

What are the legal fees for lease extension work? How experienced is the firm with lease extension legislation?

I bought a basement flat in Holmfirth, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Equivalent flats in Holmfirth with over 90 years remaining are worth £197,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease expires on 21st October 2079

You have 55 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £31,400 and £36,200 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.