My partner and I are only a couple days away from an exchange on a property in Common Edge and my mum and dad have transferred the ten percent deposit to my solicitor. I am now told that as the deposit has been received from someone other than me my conveyancing practitioner needs to make a notification to my bank. I am advised that, in also acting for the mortgage company he must inform them that the balance of the purchase price is coming from anyone other than me. I advised the lender regarding my parents' contribution when I applied for the mortgage, so is it really necessary for this now to hold matters up?

Your conveyancer is duty bound to clarify with mortgage company to ensure that they know that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own resources. Your solicitor can only reveal this to your bank if you agree, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.

My wife and I own a terraced Edwardian house in Common Edge. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Accord Mortgages Ltd. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Common Edge and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also enquire as to the position with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the purchase.

I need to retain a conveyancing solicitor for my conveyancing in Common Edge. I've chance upon a site which looks to be the ideal solution If it is possible to get all the legals done via email that would be ideal. Should I be wary? What should out be looking out for?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the sale of our £150,000 flat in Common Edge next Friday. The managing agents has quoted £324 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Common Edge?

Common Edge conveyancing on leasehold apartments usually requires the buyer’s solicitor submitting enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address such questions most will be content to assist. They are entitled to levy a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it exceeds £800. The management information fee levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, otherwise the charge is not strictly payable. In reality you have no choice but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I purchased a 1 bedroom flat in Common Edge, conveyancing was carried out January 2001. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Common Edge with an extended lease are worth £202,000. The ground rent is £60 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2082

With just 57 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £28,500 and £33,000 as well as costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.

I have just started marketing my basement apartment in Common Edge.Conveyancing has not commenced however I have just had a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is pay the service charge as usual because all rents and maintenance charges should be apportionedas part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process