We are looking to buy a flat and require a conveyancing solicitor in Pitstone who is on the Co-operative solicitor panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Co-operative . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Pitstone.

We are downsizing from our house in Pitstone and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built on contaminated land. A high street Pitstone conveyancer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the purchasers are using a nationwide conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Pitstone. Having lived in Pitstone for many years we know of no issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to seek clarification that the buyers are looking for.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor already. What do they say? You must enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same illness)

I'm buying a new build house in Pitstone with a loan from Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. The sellers would not move on the amount so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent suggested that I not disclose to my lawyer about the deal as it will affect my mortgage with the lender. 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 have been pointed in your direction by a couple of local selling agents in Pitstone to find a solicitor using your seach tool. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to offer your site rather than another?

We don’t give any referral fee for sending work in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission because members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the disposal of our £325,000 apartment in Pitstone next week. The managing agents has quoted £312 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Pitstone?

Pitstone conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally necessitates fees being raised by landlords agents :

Answering conveyancing due diligence questions Where consent is required before sale in Pitstone Supplying insurance information Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Pitstone leasehold premises is £350. For Pitstone conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to supply the information.

I purchased a split level flat in Pitstone, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Equivalent properties in Pitstone with a long lease are worth £260,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease ends on 21st October 2100

With 75 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £8,600 and £9,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.