Our Burgess Hill lawyer has discovered a discrepancy when comparing the information in the home valuation survey and what is revealed within the title deeds. My solicitor has advised that he is obliged to check that the bank is happy with this discrepancy and is content to go ahead. Is my solicitor’s approach correct?

Your conveyancer must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for both parties.

Is it the case that all Burgess Hill solicitor firms on the Nottingham conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Nottingham approved list of solicitors they would need to be governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Some banks do list licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be overseen by the CLC.

I currently have a mortgage with Bank of Ireland for my property in Burgess Hill. Conveyancing was finalised 12 months ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Bank of Ireland?

Bank of Ireland must be informed of your intention in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Bank of Ireland’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Bank of Ireland will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Bank of Ireland directly. You need not do this via a Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel firm.

I am due to exchange contracts on my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in May 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Yorkshire BS are being pedantic. The Burgess Hill solicitor who is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Yorkshire BS are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Yorkshire BS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Yorkshire BS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Yorkshire BS may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

I opted to have a survey done on a house in Burgess Hill in advance of appointing solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. The surveyor has said that some banks may not give a mortgage on a flying freehold premises.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different instructions from Halifax. If you contact us we can look into this further via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Burgess Hill. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

We're novice buyers - agreed a price, yet the estate agent told us that the seller will only go ahead if we use their chosen conveyancers as they are insisting on an ‘expedited deal’. My instinct tells me that we should use a high street solicitor with experience of conveyancing in Burgess Hill

It is unlikely the sellers are behind this. Should the owner want ‘a quick sale', turning down a serious buyer is counter productive. Speak to the vendors direct and make sure they comprehend that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances arranged © you have nothing to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you intend to instruct your own,trusted Burgess Hill conveyancing solicitors - as opposed tothe ones that will earn their negotiator at the agency a referral fee or achieve conveyancing targets set by corporate headquarters.

I own a leasehold house in Burgess Hill. Conveyancing and TSB mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing solicitor in Burgess Hill who acted for me is not around. Do I pay?

First contact the Land Registry to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to instruct a Burgess Hill conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Burgess Hill Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

Plenty Burgess Hill leasehold properties will be liable to pay a service charge for maintenance of the building invoiced on behalf of the freeholder. If you buy the apartment you will have to meet this charge, usually quarterly throughout the year. This may be anything from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built blocks. There will also be a rentcharge to be met yearly, normally this is not a significant sum, say about £25-£75 but you should to check it because occasionally it could be surprisingly expensive. How is the lease structured? You should be aware if it is less than 80 years it will impact the marketability of the property. Check with your mortgage company that they are content with residual term of the lease. A short lease means that you will most likely have to extend the lease at some point and it is worth finding out what this will be. Remember, in most cases you will be be obliged to have owned the property for two years in order to be legally able to exercise a lease extension.