We are about to complete buying a property in Newton Heath but as a result of damage from some water damage at the property I have was able negotiate compensation from the vendor in the sum of £3k taking the form of a deduction in the price. This was going to be addressed as part of a side agreement yet Clydesdale will not agree to this. Should they have been informed?

Any conveyancer being on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel is obliged to inform Clydesdale of any amendments to the sale price. If you were to refuse your lawyer to report the price change to Clydesdale then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Clydesdale and you would have to appoint a new solicitor for your conveyancing in Newton Heath.

I had intended to instruct a property lawyer in Newton Heath for our home move. Our broker informed us that our mortgage lenders Bank of Ireland won't deal with them. Why is this not regarded as unfair competition?

Before the recession most banks had a different appetite for risk. Almost all Newton Heath conveyancing firms would have been on most mortgage company panels. The financial services regulator in 2010 conducted a thematic review into mortgage fraud which concluded: know the conveyancing solicitors dealt with. Consequently, mortgage companies are increasingly seeing more information from law firms relating to their operations and their employees and establishing certain criteria such a completing on a minimum amount of transactions. Many Newton Heath conveyancing firms that have been excluded from lender panels have a 100% healthy track record, no complaints and no claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Newton Heath is one of the thousands of areas where the lawyers we list are are authorised to act for Bank of Ireland.

I am purchasing a property and the solicitor has mentioned Chancel Repair for which the house could be obligated to contribute to given it’s proximity to the area of such a church. He has recommended insurance. Is this strictly appropriate for conveyancing in Newton Heath

Unless a prior purchase of the premises completed after 12 October 2013 you could take it that solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Newton Heath to continue to advocate a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.

three months have gone by following my purchase conveyancing in Newton Heath completed. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £170,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the property from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I am employed by a long established estate agency in Newton Heath where we see a number of flat sales jeopardised due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given contradictory information from local Newton Heath conveyancing firms. Could you confirm whether the seller of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer need not have to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

I bought a 1st floor flat in Newton Heath, conveyancing formalities finalised March 2009. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable flats in Newton Heath with a long lease are worth £227,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2097

With just 72 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £9,500 and £11,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.