My god-son is about to exchange on a newly built flat in Northam with a mortgage from TSB. His conveyancer has said that there is a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. This document is news to me - what is it and who needs sight of it?

The document is intended to provide information to the main parties engaged in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the TSB conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when asked. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the TSB conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

I used Stirling Law a few years past for my conveyancing in Northam. Now, I need the documents however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

Do 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 Northam of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I need to find a conveyancing solicitor for remortgage conveyancing in Northam. I've chance upon a site which seems to have the perfect solution If it is possible to get all the legals done via web that would be ideal. Do I need to be wary? 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?

Are there common problems that you witness in leases for Northam properties?

Leasehold conveyancing in Northam is not unique. All leases are unique and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain sections are wrong. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

Insurance obligations A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.

A defective lease can cause problems when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Santander, Virgin Money, and Barclays Direct all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, forcing the purchaser to pull out.

I inherited a studio flat in Northam, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2008. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Similar flats in Northam with a long lease are worth £201,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease ends on 21st October 2090

With just 65 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £13,300 and £15,400 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

Much to my surprise my solicitor in Northam has informed me that he requires personal identification documents saying that this forms part of his requirements as a solicitor on the lender Conveyancing panel. Is this right?

Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules require Northam conveyancing solicitors and licensed conveyancers to verify the identity of the person or body they are dealing with before they can accept their conveyancing business. The Terms and Conditions that you need to sign will no doubt confirm this. Your lawyer is right that the lender also require certain documents to be viewed. If a you refuse to provide ID verification documents, your conveyancer would not be able to accept instructions from you. Your lawyer also has obligations to obtain certain documents in accordance with the mortgage company's UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements