I am buying a house without a mortgage in Merton Park. I have resided for the previous dozen years in Merton Park. Conveyancing searches are expensive. Given that I know the area and road intimately must I have all the conveyancing searches?

Provided that you do not need a mortgage, then all but one or two of the Merton Park conveyancing searches are at your discretion. Your solicitor will try and steer you, perhaps strongly, that you should have searches done, but she has a professional duty to do this. One thing to consider; if you are likely to dispose of the house at a future date, it will likely be be of interest to your prospective buyer what the searches contain. Sometimes houses with day to day issues can still reveal negative search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Merton Park will provide you some practical guidance here.

We had chosen conveyancing lawyers based in Merton Park on the Clydesdale solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me an additional fee for dealing with the Clydesdale mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by Clydesdale?

As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your conveyancer is entitled to charge a fee for this. The charge is not dictated by Clydesdale but by your Merton Park property lawyer. Numerous firms on the Clydesdale panel will quote ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but some practices include it on their overall fee.

I am purchasing a property in Merton Park. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Kent Reliance have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

As you are obtaining a mortgage with Kent Reliance your lawyer must check the conveyancing requirements set out in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Kent Reliance. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook includes minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Kent Reliance where a lease fails to meet these provisions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not isolated to Merton Park.

Yorkshire BS have agreed my mortgage in principle, my bid on a flat in Merton Park has been accepted, what are the next steps?

The estate agent will need to be advised as to your lawyer's details (be sure the conveyancers are on the bank’s approved list). Contact Yorkshire BS or the financial adviser and finalise any relevant forms. Yorkshire BS will sellect a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or seller to arrange an appointment. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes about a week for the mortgage offer to be issued. Yorkshire BS will issue the offer to you and your conveyancing practitioners. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Merton Park.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in two weeks back in what should have been a simple, chain free conveyancing. Merton Park is where the house is located. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Merton Park are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Merton Park you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Merton Park may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.

I am looking for a conveyancing solicitor in Merton Park for my home move. Is there any facility to check a solicitor's complaints history with the profession’s regulator?

You can review documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's record, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For callers outside the UK, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA could recorded call for training requirements.

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Merton Park. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and most are in Merton Park - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without success. Can I apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Merton Park conveyancing firm to assist?

if there is a absentee landlord or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to decide the premium.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Merton Park premises is 14 Nutwell Street in January 2014. The premium payable for the acquisition of a new lease of the subject premises was in the sum of £30,523 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 62.94 years.