I am obtaining a offer of a home loan from Lloyds. I hope to use a Licensed Conveyancer in Sonning Common. Does the Lloyds Solicitor panel allow for Licensed Conveyancers?

The Lloyds approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders, associated to the Council or Mortgage Lenders or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

My husband and I are refinancing our flat in Sonning Common with Clydesdale. We have a son 19 who lives with us. Our solicitor has asked us to disclose anyone over the age of 17 other than ourselves who lives in the flat. Our lawyer has now e-mailed a document for our son to sign, waiving any legal rights in the event that the flat is forfeited by the lender. I have two questions (1) Is this form unique to the Clydesdale conveyancing panel as he did not need to sign this form when we purchased 4 years ago (2) In signing this form is our son in any way compromising his right to inherit the property?

On the face of it your lawyer has done nothing wrong as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Clydesdale. This is solely used to protect Clydesdale if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave. It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Clydesdale had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.

I have been advised by a number of property agents in Sonning Common to find a property lawyer using your seach tool. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to recommend your services over a competitor’s?

We don’t offer any commission for directing people in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult a fee as home movers will think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

As co-executor for the will of my grandfather I am disposing of a house in Monmouth but I am based in Sonning Common. My solicitor (who is 235 kilometers awayrequires that I execute a statutory declaration before the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Sonning Common to attest this legal document for me?

Technically speaking you should not need to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or solicitor will do regardless of whether they are Sonning Common based

I have just appointed agents to market my garden apartment in Sonning Common. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, but I have just received a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is discharge the maintenance contribution as usual because all rents and maintenance payments will be allotted on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I inherited a studio flat in Sonning Common, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable flats in Sonning Common with an extended lease are worth £181,000. The ground rent is £55 invoiced every year. The lease expires on 21st October 2075

You have 50 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £31,400 and £36,200 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.