My wife and I are buying a newly built duplex in City of Darlington and my lawyer is informing me that she is duty bound to the bank to disclose incentives from the developer. I am on a tight deadline to sign contracts and my preference is not to prolong deal. Is my lawyer right?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your solicitor. A precondition to being on a mortgage company panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

What is the first thing I need to know regarding purchase conveyancing in City of Darlington?

Not many law firms shout this from the rooftops but conveyancing in City of Darlington and elsewhere in Darlington is often a confrontational process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of opportunity for conflict between you and other parties involved in the home moving process. For instance, the vendor, selling agent and sometimes a bank. Appointing a law firm for your conveyancing in City of Darlington is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE person in the process whose role it is to protect your best interests and to keep you safe.

There is a distinct creep of a "blame" culture- someone must be at fault for the process taking so long. You your first instinct should be to trust your lawyer ahead of the other parties in the conveyancing process.

A colleague recommended that where I am purchasing in City of Darlington I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard City of Darlington conveyancing searches. It is a large report of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out important information about City of Darlington around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, City of Darlington Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data concerning City of Darlington.

About to purchase a new build flat in City of Darlington. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in City of Darlington

Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier?

Back In 2005, I bought a leasehold flat in City of Darlington. Conveyancing and Skipton Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing practitioner in City of Darlington who previously acted has now retired. What should I do?

The first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry to make sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to instruct a City of Darlington conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

City of Darlington Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Who are the managing agents? Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge payments? The best form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this situation the lessees benefit from control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is often retained if it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants.