Me and my wife are buying a leasehold flat in Boldon. My lawyer has never been on on the bank approved panel. Can I still retain my Boldon conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the bank list of approved lawyers?

You have a couple of alternatives open to you here

• Proceed with your preferred Boldon conveyancer but your lender will no doubt appoint a conveyancing practitioner on their approved list. The net result is additional fees and likely frustration.
• Get a new property lawyer to conduct the conveyancing, obviously checking they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
• Convince your solicitor to apply to join the lender panel

My brother and I have recently bought a house in Boldon. We have noticed several issues with the property which we suspect were omitted in the conveyancing searches. Is there anything we can do? What searches should? have been carried out for conveyancing in Boldon?

It is not clear from the question as what problems have arisen and if they are relate to conveyancing in Boldon. Conveyancing searches and investigations undertaken during the legal transfer of property are supposed to help avoid problems. As part of the process, the vendor fills in a form known as a Seller’s Property Information Form. If the information provided is misleading, you could possibly take legal action against the seller for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Boldon.

We are looking to buy a house and require a conveyancing solicitor in Boldon who is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a conveyancing firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Lloyds . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Boldon.

My cousin has suggested that I appoint his conveyancers in Boldon. Do I follow his guidance?

No doubt it’s preferable to find a conveyancing practitioner is to get feedback from friends or relatives who have actually previously instructed the solicitor you're contemplating using.

Last October I purchased a leasehold property in Boldon. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

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).

Boldon Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

Best to be warned if a new roof is being put on or some other significant cost is due shortly to be shared amongst the leasehold owners and could well dramatically increase the the maintenance costs or necessitate a specific invoice. Please tell me if there are any major works anticipated that will add a premium to the service charges? Be sure to enquire if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For instance some leases prohibit pets being permitted in certain buildings in Boldon. If you love the apartmentin Boldon but your cat is not allowed to make the move with you then you will be faced difficult compromise.