After what seems like an age a loan agreement from Santander for the refinancing of my single room maisonette is to be issued by the end of next week. Could you put forward a cheap conveyancing solicitor in Clent?

You have arrived at the wrong site to search for a cheap conveyancing solicitors in Clent. We can offer you cost effective conveyancing but we do not aim to advertise as being the cheapest. Resist the temptation to appoint companies offering ninety nine pound conveyancing in Clent. Optimistically, in deciding on low cost conveyancing, you will earn what you pay for and at worst you will end up with a hefty uplift in extras and still not get the service required.

The Clent conveyancing lawyers that I recently instructed on my purchase in Clent have suddenly shut down. They were on acting for me because I needed a solicitor on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel and my family Clent lawyer was not. I cut them a cheque for two hundred pounds in advance. What do I do now?

Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them straight away so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors should be in a position to assist.

I am the sole beneficiary of my late father’s estate and I have everything in my name now, including the house in Clent. The Clent property was put into my name in July. I plan to dispose of the house. I do know about the CML 6 month 'rule', meaning my property ownership could be regarded the same way as if I'd bought the property in July. Is the property unsalable for six months?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook requires solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you might be caught by that. How sensible a view banks take of it, depend on the bank as this provision primarily exists to identify subsales or the wholesaling and assigning of property.

Is there a list of TSB panel conveyancers in Clent on the Building Society Association’s Website?

Unfortunately not yet. There is no such directory service on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association sites. Very few banks make their panel listings viewable on the web. Where you are seeking to appoint a Clent conveyancer on the TSB please make the most of our facility.

I was told four weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Santander. Is it usual for Santander to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Clent is approved on their conveyancing panel? Santander have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their PI Insurance.

A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Santander to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Santander conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of flats in Clent which have in the region of fifty years left on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold flat in Clent is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it reduces the salability of the property. For most buyers and banks, leases with under 75 years become less and less attractive. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Clent conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I am the registered owner of a 1st floor flat in Clent, conveyancing was carried out 8 years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Clent with a long lease are worth £227,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2097

With 72 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 plus legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

Our conveyancer in Clent has identified a defect with the lease for the flat we are buying in Clent. The other side have suggested title insurance as a solution. We are content with insurance and will cover the costs. Our solicitor says that as he is on the bank conveyancing panel he must be satisfied that the lender is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the mortgage company?

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and the mortgage company are the client. A precondition to being on the lender approved panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects will the lease so that the bank can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected . Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.