I am buying a newly built apartment in Meir and my solicitor is informing me that she has to the bank to reveal incentives from the developer. I am on a tight deadline to exchange contracts and I would rather not prolong deal. is my lawyer playing by the book?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on a bank panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

As someone clueless as to the Meir conveyancing process what is the number one tip you can give me for the legal transfer of property in Meir

Not many law firms shout this from the rooftops but conveyancing in Meir or throughout Staffordshire is an adversarial experience. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there is an abundance of room for conflict between you and other parties involved in the home moving process. For example, the vendor, property agent and on occasion your lender. Choosing a lawyer for your conveyancing in Meir is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE party in the legal process whose role it is to protect your legal interests and to keep you safe.

Sometimes a potential adversary may attempt to sway you that it is in your interests to do things their way. For instance, the property agent may claim to be assisting by claiming that your conveyancer is wrong. Or your financial adviser may tell you to do take action that is contrary to your conveyancers advice. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the home moving process.

I am expecting a AIP from TSB this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do TSB recommend any Meir solicitors on the TSB conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Meir solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the TSB conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and TSB through the process.

My partner and I are in the throws of viewing flats in Meir and I am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a conveyancing practitioner in place at this point? I will be getting a mortgage with Yorkshire BS.

You should start obtaining conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the EA. Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Yorkshire BS, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel.

I have a mortgage with RBS for my property in Meir. Conveyancing was finalised some time ago. If I am intending to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform RBS?

RBS must be informed of your intention prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of RBS’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact RBS directly. You need not do this via a RBS conveyancing panel lawyer.

I used Wolstenholmes a few years ago for my conveyancing in Meir. Now, I need the files however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Meir of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

My partner and I may need to sub-let our Meir basement flat for a while due to a career opportunity. We used a Meir conveyancing practice in 2004 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to seek any guidance as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

Even though your previous Meir conveyancing solicitor is no longer available you can review your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the apartment. The rule is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you are obliged to obtain consent via your landlord or some other party in advance of subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. Such consent is not allowed to be unreasonably turned down. If the lease prohibits you from letting out the property you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I purchased a leasehold flat in Meir, conveyancing having been completed in 2011. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar properties in Meir with an extended lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease runs out on 21st October 2087

With just 62 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £17,100 and £19,800 plus legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.