It is 10 years ago since I bought my house in Balsall Common. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been retained on the sale but I can't find the deeds. Is this a major issue?

You need not be too concerned. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be retained by your mortgage company or they could be archived with the lawyers who handled the purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining current official copies of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Balsall Common relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is not registered it is more problematic but is resolvable.

Having spent time scouring consumer advice sites for a conveyancing lawyer in Balsall Common, most say that I should instruct a CQS assured solicitor. What is CQS?

The Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme is the recognised quality mark for legal experts in buying or selling property, trusted by some of the UK's major banks. Four years ago the Conveyancing Quality Scheme was officially recognised by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). CQS is not a scheme offered by the Council of Licensed Conveyancing. Balsall Common is one of the numerous areas in England and Wales where there are CQS lawyers.

Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that may impact a commercial property in Balsall Common?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Balsall Common will execute a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers invest in looking into accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Balsall Common. The search result 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 Balsall Common.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Balsall Common it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately can result in delays to Balsall Common commercial conveyancing deals as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not carried out for residential conveyancing in Balsall Common.

I'm purchasing my first flat in Balsall Common with a loan from Barclays . The sellers refused to budge the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative suggested that I not inform my solicitor about this side-deal as it will jeopardize my mortgage with Barclays . Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

Last June I purchased a leasehold flat in Balsall Common. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Balsall Common Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

It would be sensible to discover as much as possible about the managing agents as they can either make life much simpler or problematic. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you will be at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to daily issues like the tidiness of the common parts. Ask other tenants whether they are happy with their service. In conclusion, find out the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the managing agents and specifically how they are spending that money. Can you inform me if there are any major works anticipated that will likely add a premium to the maintenance charges?