My wife and I are buying a apartment in Devon. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a lawyer? At some point we will need to put funds into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our deposit?

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.

Forgive me if this question is silly but I am new to the process as a first time buyer of a ground floor flat in Devon. Do I pick up the keys to the property on the completion date from my solicitor? If this is the case, I will appoint a local conveyancing solicitor in Devon?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will electronically transfer the purchase money to the owner’s conveyancers, and once they have received this, you will be able to pick up the keys from the Estate Agents and start moving into the property. This tends to happen between 1 and 3pm.

I have paid off my mortgage with Aldermore. I assume I don't need a Devon conveyancer on the Aldermore panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.

If you have finished paying off your Aldermore mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Aldermore mortgage from the register. Aldermore, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Aldermore has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Aldermore has instructed the Land Registry to do so

Various internet forums that I have visited warn that are a common reason for hinderance in Devon conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the most frequent causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Local searches are unlikely to feature in any holding up conveyancing in Devon.

Should I be concerned that estate agents that I am dealing with are recommending an internet conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street Devon conveyancing firm?

As with many service providers, often input from connections can be very helpful. But there are many parties with a keen interest in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, mortgage brokers and mortgage companies may recommend conveyancers to retain. On occasion the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but sometimes there might be a commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You are at liberty to appoint your own lawyer. You need to be aware that many lenders specify a panel list of lawyers you must use for the mortgage related work in your home move.

I am 18 days into a freehold purchase having been referred to solicitors by the selling agent to handle our conveyancing in Devon. I am not happy. Could you you assist me in finding new lawyers?

A solicitor would have to be really poor in order to consider replacing them. Has the mortgage offer been sent? In the event that it has you need to make them aware of the new contact details and have the mortgage documents are issued to the new lawyers. Your new conveyancer should be on the lenders approved list to avoid supplemental expenses and frustration. That should be your first question of the new solicitors. Our search tool will assist you in finding a bank approved conveyancer for your conveyancing in Devon

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the sale of our £150,000 maisonette in Devon in just under a week. The landlords agents has quoted £348 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Devon?

Devon conveyancing on leasehold apartments usually involves the purchaser’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions the majority will be willing to do so. They are at liberty to charge a reasonable administration fee for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The administration charge required by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the charge is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that one has little choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to sell the property.

I am the registered owner of a garden flat in Devon, conveyancing was carried out February 2001. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Devon with over 90 years remaining are worth £192,000. The ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease ends on 21st October 2079

With just 54 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £32,300 and £37,400 as well as professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.