Me and my partner are purchasing a house in Snaith. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a conveyancer? On completion day we have to send funds into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our money?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Coventry BS. Snaith conveyancing solicitors were instructed. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Coventry BS?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Coventry BS conducted the valuation? Have you informed Coventry BS as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Snaith. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender RBS be concerned?

As you are obtaining a mortgage with RBS your lawyer must check the conveyancing instructions contained in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for RBS. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to RBS where a lease fails to comply with these specifications. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not limited to Snaith.

It has been 3 months following my purchase conveyancing in Snaith concluded. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £200,000 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 practitioner in Snaith for my house move. Can I check a solicitor's complaints history with the profession’s regulator?

Members of the public may see presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from investigations commenced on or after 1 January 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For information about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors record, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For non-uk callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator sometimes recorded telephone calls for training reasons.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of apartments in Snaith which have approximately fifty years left on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold flat in Snaith is a deteriorating asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The nearer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it reduces the value of the premises. The majority of purchasers and banks, leases with less than eighty years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Snaith conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I am the registered owner of a basement flat in Snaith, conveyancing having been completed February 2008. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Corresponding flats in Snaith with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease ceases on 21st October 2079

You have 55 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £31,400 and £36,200 as well as professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

My step-son is just in the process of moving home, he had his mortgage in principle. After the offer was accepted on apartment we contacted the bank to progress the mortgage application. I was disappointed to hear that banks do not accept all conveyancer, they have to be on a list, is this right?

Mortgage Companies normally imposes restrictions either the type or the number of conveyancing solicitors on their approved list of lawyers. A common example of such restriction(s) being that a firm must have two or more partners. In addition to restricting the type of firm, some have decided to limit the number of firms they use to represent them. You should note that banks have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any Snaith solicitor on their panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the rationalisation of conveyancing panels a few years ago and whilst there are differing views about the extent of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry reveal that thousands of law firms only carry out one or two conveyances a year. Those supporting conveyancing panel cuts ask why law firms should have the right to be on a Lender panel when clearly, conveyancing is not their speciality. To put it another way; would you want a conveyancing solicitor to represent you if you were charged with a crime? Unlikely.