My partner and I are acquiring a new build flat in Strood and my solicitor is informing me that she has to the mortgage company to disclose incentives from the seller. I am under pressure to sign contracts and I would rather not delay matters. is my lawyer playing by the book?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your conveyancing practitioner. A precondition to being on a mortgage company panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

My wife and I have a semi-detached Victorian house in Strood. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Santander. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same property. Is it worth asking Santander to clarify?

You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Strood and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also check the position with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the work.

How simple is it to use the search tool to choose a conveyancing practitioner in Strood on the panel for my bank?

Step one is to select a bank such as Birmingham Midshires, Leeds Building Society or Barclays Direct then choose your preferred area for instance Strood. Conveyancing organisations in Strood and across England and Wales should be identified.

All being well we will complete the disposal of our £425,000 maisonette in Strood on Tuesday in a week. The managing agents has quoted £348 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Strood?

Strood conveyancing on leasehold apartments usually involves the purchaser’s conveyancer sending enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer these enquiries the majority will be content to assist. They are at liberty to levy a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it is above £800. The management information fee invoiced by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of rights and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality you have no choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I acquired a studio flat in Strood, conveyancing was carried out May 1998. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar flats in Strood with over 90 years remaining are worth £216,000. The ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2094

With 70 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. You should 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 you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

How much should conveyancing in Strood cost?

Almost all Strood conveyancing practices will charge a fixed fee. In the event that extra work becomes necessary during the conveyancing your lawyer must inform you in writing of such extra costs for such work immediately it becomes foreseeable. Some work on a no sale no fee basis, others will charge a fraction of the agreed fee, depending on the point at which the transaction aborts.

We would recommend that you seek two or three practices to give you an estimate.