Our lawyer has discovered a defect with the lease for the flat we are purchasing in Ferndown. The seller’s lawyers have put forward title insurance as a solution. We are happy with insurance and will cover the costs. Our has advised that he must ensure that the mortgage company is content with this solution. Are we the client or is the bank?

Notwithstanding that you have a mortgage offer from the bank does not mean to say that the property will meet their provisions for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. You and the mortgage company are the client. The appropriate lender conditions have to be complied with.

The Ferndown conveyancing solicitors that I appointed last week on my purchase in Ferndown have without warning shut down. I chose them because I had to have a lawyer on the conveyancing panel and my previous Ferndown lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take £195 for searches. What do I do now?

Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Most sellers would 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 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 lawyers should be in a position to help.

The deeds to our home are lost. The conveyancers who dealt with the conveyancing in Ferndown 4 years ago have long since closed. What are my options?

As long as you have a registered title the information relating to your proprietorship will be documented by the Land Registry under a Title Number. It is easy to carry out a search at the Land Registry, find your house and obtain current copies of the Registered Entries for less than a fiver. If the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will in most cases hold a certified duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for £20 inclusive of VAT.

I am buying a new build flat in Ferndown. Conveyancing is daunting 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.

Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Ferndown

Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. 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. 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.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I put an offer in two weeks back in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Ferndown is where the house is located. Can you offer any advice?

Flying freeholds in Ferndown are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Ferndown you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Ferndown may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.