Just been in touch with my conveyancing solicitor in Middlesbrough who conducted the legals 18 months ago requesting a conveyancing quote based on an identical type of house move (a leasehold residence and a freehold premises) of similar values with a mortgage from Barclays Direct. I am now being charged twice the amount. Better the devil I know or should I try and find a cheaper online firm of conveyancing solicitor?

The estimate fees are a little high. If you you were to look around you may be able to shave off some of the expense by perhaps £100 plus VAT. That being said, assuming were satisfied with the service the firm offered you maylive to rue choosing an an untested conveyancer. Don't forget to ensure that the firm can represent Barclays Direct. Do utilise our search tool to locate a Middlesbrough conveyancing firm on the Barclays Direct conveyancing panel, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Middlesbrough.

Should my lawyer be raising questions concerning flooding during the conveyancing in Middlesbrough.

Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors specialising in conveyancing in Middlesbrough. Plenty of people will purchase a house in Middlesbrough, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or sell the property. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Conveyancers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a number of searches that may be carried out by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which will give them a better understanding of the risks in Middlesbrough. The standard completed inquiry forms sent to a buyer’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) contains a usual inquiry of the owner to determine whether the property has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred and is not notified by the vendor, then a buyer could issue a legal claim for losses resulting from an misleading reply. The purchaser’s lawyers may also carry out an enviro report. This will indicate if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further investigations will need to be made.

I have recentlydiscovered that Stirling Law have closed. They carried out my conveyancing in Middlesbrough for a purchase of a leasehold flat 18 months ago. How can I establish that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?

The easiest way to see if the property is registered to you, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Middlesbrough conveyancing specialists.

I am purchasing a new build house in Middlesbrough with a loan from The Royal Bank of Scotland. The developers refused to budge the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent told me not to tell my lawyer about the deal as it would jeopardize my mortgage with The Royal Bank of Scotland. Is this normal?.

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.

How can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my business property in Middlesbrough and how can you help?

The 1954 Act gives a safeguard to commercial tenants, giving them the legal entitlement to make a request to court for a continuation of occupancy at the end of an expired lease. There are limited grounds that a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are involved. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Middlesbrough is one of our numerous areas of the UK in which our lawyers are located