My son is buying a house that has just been built in Patcham with a mortgage from Lloyds. His lawyer has said that there is a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. What is this document - I have never come across this before?

The document is intended to provide information to the main parties engaged in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Lloyds conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when asked. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Lloyds conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

Can you explain why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Patcham is more expensive?

The conveyancing charges for a leasehold property in Patcham is frequently greater as compared to a freehold acquisition or disposal. This is due to the supplemental time required in dealing with the freeholder and managing agents to obtain information concerning whether the rent and service fee have been discharged and whether there are any major works due in the near future on repairs or maintenance of the building.

The Patcham conveyancing solicitors that I recently instructed on my house acquisition in Patcham have suddenly closed. They were on acting for me because I had to have a solicitor on the TSB conveyancing panel and my previous Patcham lawyer was not. I paid them funds on account. What should be my next steps?

If you have an estate agent involved then let them know immediately so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the TSB conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers may be able to assist.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one close by in Patcham I like with amenity areas and station in the vicinity, however it's only got 51 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Patcham suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

Should you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term may be an issue. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you may request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

I am an executor of my recently deceased mother’s Will, with a house in Patcham which is to be sold. The house is unregistered at HMLR and I'm advised that some EAs will insist that it is in place before they'll proceed. What's the mechanism for this?

In the circumstances you refer to it seems prudent to apply to register in the names of the personal representative(s) as named in the probate and in their capacity as PRs. HMLR’s online guidance explains how to register for the first time and what is required re the deeds and forms. You would need to include and certified copy of the probate as well and complete the form FR1 to refer to the PRs as the applicant.