Our son is purchasing a new build apartment in Walton On Thames with a home loan from Santander. His solicitor has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?

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 Santander conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when requested. 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 Santander conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

Completed the sale of my flat in Walton On Thames last May yet the purchaser is calling every few hours to moan that their lawyer is waiting to hear from mysolicitor. What should have happened now that I have sold?

Post completion of your sale your lawyer should deliver the transfer deeds and all of the paperwork to the purchaser's conveyancer. Depending on the transaction, your solicitor should also evidence that the mortgage has been paid off to the purchasers solicitors. There are no post completion requirements just for conveyancing in Walton On Thames.

A friend informed me that in purchasing a property in Walton On Thames there may be various restrictions limiting what one can do in terms of external alterations to the property. Is this right?

There are anumerous of properties in Walton On Thames which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external changes. Part of the conveyancing in Walton On Thames should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

Does a directory service exist listing Skipton panel solicitors in Walton On Thames on the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Website?

Unfortunately not yet. There is no such facility on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. A small selection of lending institutions make their panel listings open the public online. Where you are in need of a Walton On Thames solicitor on the Skipton please use our facility.

Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Walton On Thames. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?

Almost all banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.

I have recentlybecome aware that Arc property Solicitors have been shut down. They conducted my conveyancing in Walton On Thames for a purchase of a freehold house 12 months ago. How can I be sure that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?

The easiest method to see if the premises is in your name, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Walton On Thames conveyancing specialists.

I am attracted to a couple of apartments in Walton On Thames both have approximately 50 years unexpired on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold apartment in Walton On Thames is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the value of the property. The majority of buyers and mortgage companies, leases with under 75 years become less and less attractive. On a more upbeat 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 a property 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 Walton On Thames conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend 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 a ground floor purpose built flat in Walton On Thames. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount payable for the purchase of the freehold?

Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Walton On Thames conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Walton On Thames flat is 147 Redford Close in June 2012. The Tribunal determined the lease extension premium to be at £4,200 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 82.93 years.