I am getting a offer of a home loan from Halifax. I would like to employ the services of a Licensed Conveyancer in Llanelli. Does the Halifax Conveyancing panel exclude conveyancers regulated by the CLC?

The Halifax conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, associated to the Council or Mortgage Lenders or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.

My conveyancer has discovered a a problem with the lease for the flat we are buying in Llanelli. The other side have suggested defective title insurance as a solution. We are content with insurance and will cover the costs. Our conveyancing practitioner has advised that he must ensure that the bank is content with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the lender?

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and the lender are the client. Your conveyancing practitioner must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the lender can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your conveyancer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

I am buying my first flat in Llanelli with the aid of help to buy. The sellers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The sale representative suggested that I not to tell my conveyancer about this deal as it will jeopardize my mortgage with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and found one round the corner in Llanelli I like with amenity areas and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Llanelli in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.

I own a leasehold flat in Llanelli. Conveyancing and Nottingham Building Society mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Llanelli who acted for me is not around. Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a Llanelli conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I acquired a leasehold flat in Llanelli, conveyancing formalities finalised 6 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent properties in Llanelli with an extended lease are worth £202,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £60 per annum. The lease ceases on 21st October 2082

You have 56 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £29,500 and £34,000 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range 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 detailed investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. 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. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.