My partner and I are hoping to buy a house in Heaton Moor and have instructed a Heaton Moor conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our solicitor has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Skipton Building Society have this evening contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Heaton Moor solicitor is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?

Where you are buying a property requiring a mortgage it is normal for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Heaton Moor solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.

My wife and I have recently acquired a house in Heaton Moor. We have noticed several issues with the house which we consider were overlooked in the conveyancing searches. Do we have any recourse? Can you clarify the type of searches that needed to have been conducted as part of conveyancing in Heaton Moor?

It is not clear from the question as to the nature of the problems and if they are relate to conveyancing in Heaton Moor. Conveyancing searches and due diligence initiated as part of the buying process are designed to help avoid problems. As part of the process, a seller completes a document known as a SPIF. answers is misleading, you could possibly take legal action against the owner for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Heaton Moor.

We are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our house in Heaton Moor and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being constructed land that was not decontaminated. A local lawyer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers instructed a web based conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Heaton Moor. Having lived in Heaton Moor for three years we know that this is a non issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to seek confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. What do they say? You need to check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same ailment)

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing lawyer in Heaton Moor for my home move. Can I check a solicitor's record with the profession’s regulator?

Members of the public may search for documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from investigations started on or after Jan 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For information about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's record, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For callers outside the UK, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator could monitor call for training requirements.

I am attracted to a two apartments in Heaton Moor which have in the region of fifty years unexpired on the leases. should I be concerned?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Heaton Moor is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the marketability of the premises. For most purchasers and mortgage companies, leases with less than eighty years become less and less marketable. 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 a residence 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 Heaton Moor 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.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Heaton Moor - Sample of Questions you should consider before buying

How much is the maintenance charge and ground rent on the property? Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge payments? This information is useful as a) areas can cause problems for the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where maintenance remain unpaid b) if the tenants have an issue with the managing agents you will wish to know about it