What is the best way to investigate if the solicitor conducting my conveyancing in Clerkenwell is on the bank’sconveyancing panel? I am looking to avoid the situation of having one lawyer for me and one for Platform Home Loans Ltd thus spending £192.00 in further legal costs.

Please do make use of the search tool on this web page. Pick the mortgage company and type ‘Clerkenwell’ or your location and you will be presented with numerous conveyancers offices in Clerkenwell or near you.

My wife and I are buying a property in Clerkenwell. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a solicitor? At some point we have to put our life savings into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our monies?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

I am expecting a OIP from TSB this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do TSB recommend any Clerkenwell solicitors on the TSB conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Clerkenwell solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the TSB conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and TSB through the process.

The mortgage over my property is with Co-operative for my property in Clerkenwell. Conveyancing was finalised months ago. If I am intending to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Co-operative?

You must advise Co-operative prior to letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Co-operative’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Co-operative will allow you to rent 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 Co-operative directly. You need not do this via a Co-operative conveyancing panel solicitor.

I'm buying a new build house in Clerkenwell benefiting from help to buy. The developers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The sale representative advised me not reveal to my conveyancer about the extras as it could affect my mortgage with Nottingham Building Society. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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.

I have been sourcing a conveyancing lawyer in Clerkenwell for my house move. Is there any facility to review a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?

One can read documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from inquisitions commenced on or after Jan 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's history, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator could recorded call for training requirements.

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Clerkenwell from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Clerkenwell can be avoided if you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers’ solicitors.
In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Clerkenwell state that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord consenting to such changes. If you dont have the paperwork to hand do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer before hand. The majority of landlords or managing agents in Clerkenwell levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold home. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Clerkenwell. Some Clerkenwell leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers. If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a duplicate share certificate can be a lengthy formality and frustrates many a Clerkenwell home move. Where a reissued share is needed, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible.

I am the registered owner of a a ground floor purpose built flat in Clerkenwell. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the sum due for a lease extension?

Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Clerkenwell conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Clerkenwell residence is Flat 89 Trinity Court Grays Inn Road in February 2013. the Tribunal found that the premium to be paid by the tenant on the grant of a new lease, in accordance with section 56 and Schedule 13 to the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 should be £36,229. This case was in relation to 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 66.8 years.