My lawyer has discovered a a legal deficiency with the lease for the flat we are purchasing in Chalfont St Peter. The seller’s lawyers have offered title insurance as a solution. We are content with insurance and will pay for it. Our lawyer says that he must check that the mortgage company is willing to move forward with this solution. Are we the client or is the lender?

Regardless of the fact that you have a mortgage offer from the mortgage company does not mean to say that the property will meet their requirements for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. You and the mortgage company are the client. The appropriate lender conditions have to be complied with.

I'm in the process of looking at flats in Chalfont St Peter and I am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a conveyancer appointed at this point? I will be getting a home loan with Co-operative.

You should start obtaining conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the EA. As you are getting a mortgage with Co-operative, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Chalfont St Peter. I have a mortgage agreed with Santander. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Santander, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Santander conveyancing panel.

I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in March 2007, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Skipton are being difficult. The Chalfont St Peter solicitor who is on the Skipton conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Skipton are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Skipton have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Skipton have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Skipton 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.

The deeds to our home are lost. The conveyancers who conducted the conveyancing in Chalfont St Peter 4 years ago have long since closed. Will I be able to sell the house?

You no longer need to have the physical official documentation to prove you own the land or property, as the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.

I'm buying a new build house in Chalfont St Peter with a mortgage from Accord Mortgages Ltd. The developers refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The house builders rep suggested that I not reveal to my lawyer about the extras as it may put at risk my loan with the lender. 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.

We expect to complete the sale of our £325,000 apartment in Chalfont St Peter in just under a week. The managing agents has quoted £300 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Chalfont St Peter?

Chalfont St Peter conveyancing on leasehold flats more often than not necessitates the buyer’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to address such questions most will be willing to do so. They may levy a reasonable charge for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it is in excess of £800. The administration charge levied by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of rights and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that one has no choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to complete the sale of your home.

After years of correspondence we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Chalfont St Peter. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Chalfont St Peter conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Chalfont St Peter flat is Flats 8, 11 and 15 Craigmore Court 46 Murray Road in December 2013. The tribunal held that the price payable by the Applicant tenant of Flat 8 to acquire an extended lease shall be £26,438 plus £1 to the intermediate lessee . The tribunal held that the price payable by the Applicant tenants of Flat 11 to acquire an extended lease shall be £26,791 plus £1 to the intermediate lessee. The tribunal held that the price payable by the Applicant tenant of Flat 15 to acquire an extended lease shall be £26,638 plus £1 to the intermediate lessee . This case affected 3 flats. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 71 years.