My wife and I are about to complete buying a property in Swanage but as a consequence of wreckage from a small fire at the property I have was able negotiate compensation from the owner of three thousand pounds taking the form of a adjustment in the price. I had intended this to be addressed as part of a side agreement but Aldermore will not permit this. Should they have been notified?

Any conveyancing practitioner being on the Aldermore approved list is duty bound to advise Aldermore of any amendments to the purchase price. If you prohibit your property lawyer to disclose the reduction to Aldermore then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Aldermore and you would have to appoint a new conveyancer for your conveyancing in Swanage.

The Swanage conveyancing lawyers that I appointed last week on my house acquisition in Swanage have suddenly shut down. I chose them because I had to have a solicitor on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel and my preferred Swanage lawyer was not. I sent them a cheque for £250 in advance. What do I do now?

If you have an estate agent involved then let them know immediately so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers may be able to assist.

Do commercial conveyancing searches disclose proposed roadworks that may affect a commercial site in Swanage?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Swanage will order a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers expend in investigating accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Swanage. The report provides definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Swanage.

For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Swanage it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately may cause delays to Swanage commercial conveyancing deals as well as pose a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not conducted for domestic conveyancing in Swanage.

Am I right to be concerned by estate agents that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a web based conveyancing firm as opposed to a local Swanage conveyancing company?

As is the case with lots of service providers, often recommendations from relatives can be extremely useful or valuable. But there are lots of players in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, financial adviser and banks may put forward lawyers to use. On occasion these lawyers might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but sometimes there might be a commercial relationship behind the endorsement. You have the discretion to select your own conveyancer. However, bear in mind that the majority of lenders specify a panel list of solicitors you must use for the mortgage related work in your home move.

There are only 62 years left on my flat in Swanage. I need to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What are my options?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to find the lessor. In some cases a specialist would be useful to carry out a search and prepare a report to be accepted by the court as proof that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Swanage.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Swanage - Sample of Queries before buying

Is the freehold reversion owned jointly by the leaseholders? Is anyone aware of any major works on the horizon that could add a premium to the maintenance charges? It would be wise to find out if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. By way of example it is fairly common in Swanage leases that pets are not permitted in certain buildings in Swanage. If you love the propertyin Swanage but your dog is not allowed to live with you then you will be presented with a difficult decision.