Me and my partner are soon to exchange buying a property in Ladywood but as a consequence of wreckage from a small fire at the property I have was able negotiate compensation from the vendor in the sum of six thousand pounds taking the form of a deduction in the price. This was going to be addressed as part of a side agreement but HSBC are not allowing this. Should they have been involved?

Your conveyancing practitioner that is on the HSBC conveyancing panel is obliged to advise HSBC of any amendments to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your conveyancer to notify the price change to HSBC then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, HSBC and you would have to appoint a new conveyancing practitioner for your conveyancing in Ladywood.

As a first time buyer what is the most important advice you can impart concerning purchase conveyancing in Ladywood?

Not many law firms or advisers will tell you this but conveyancing in Ladywood or throughout England and Wales is often a confrontational process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists lots of opportunity for confrontation between you and other parties involved in the legal transfer of property. For example, the seller, selling agent and sometimes your lender. Selecting a solicitor for your conveyancing in Ladywood should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE party in the legal process whose role it is to act in your best interests and to protect you.

We are witnessing a definite increase in the "blame" culture- someone has to be at fault for the process being so protracted. We recommend that you your first instinct should be to trust your conveyancer ahead of all other parties when it comes to the legal transfer of property.

My Conveyancer in Ladywood is not on the Britannia Conveyancing Panel. Can I still use my family solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the Britannia panel?

Your options are as follows:

1. Complete the purchase with your existing Ladywood lawyers but Britannia will need to use a solicitor on their list of acceptable firms. This will inevitably rack up the overall conveyancing fees as well as cause frustration.
2. Get an alternative lawyer to act in the purchase, not forgetting to check they are on the Britannia panel

What can a local search inform me concerning the property we're buying in Ladywood?

Ladywood conveyancing often commences with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search company for example Xpress Legal The local search is essential in every Ladywood conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any nasty once you have moved into your new home. The search will reveal data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 topic headings.

I am buying a new build apartment in Ladywood. Conveyancing is a frightening process 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 are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Ladywood

There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision.