I can't travel far from Portland. Is there a reason why all Portland solicitors are not on all bank panels?

Pre- 2008 most banks demonstrated an attitude to risk which differs from the current day. The Financial Services Authority in 2010 carried out a thematic review into property fraud which in summary warned lenders: know the property lawyers on your panel. As a result, lenders have subsequently soughtmore information from law firms concerning their operations and the individuals who work for them and set certain criteria such as completing a minimum number of transactions. Thousands of firms have found themselves removed from lender panels even though they had an exemplary disciplinary record, no complaints and zero claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Many firms were never going to meet the minimum amount of transactions the mortgage companies required.

We are buying a house in Portland. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a solicitor? At some point we have to put our life savings into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our money?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

I had a mortgage agreed in principle with Yorkshire BS. Portland conveyancing lawyers are instructed. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Yorkshire BS?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Yorkshire BS done the survey? Have you advised Yorkshire BS as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

I currently have a mortgage with Nationwide for my property in Portland. Conveyancing has been completed some time ago. Should I wish 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 Nationwide?

Your original mortgage agreement with Nationwide will provide that you need their approval before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Nationwide’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Nationwide will allow you to rent 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 Nationwide directly. You need not do this via a Nationwide conveyancing panel firm.

I am buying a new build house in Portland with a loan from Santander. The sellers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The property agent advised me not disclose to my conveyancer about this extras as it could adversely affect my loan with the bank. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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 straightforward is it to use your search tool to choose a conveyancing solicitor in Portland on the authorised to act for my bank?

Step one is to choose a lender such as HSBC Bank, Coventry Building Society or TSB then type in your preferred area for instance Portland. Conveyancing organisations in Portland and across England and Wales will then be identified.

We expect to complete our sale of a £250,000 garden flat in Portland in 5 days. The managing agents has quoted £360 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Portland?

Portland conveyancing on leasehold flats normally involves fees being invoiced by landlords agents :

Completing conveyancing due diligence questions Where consent is required before sale in Portland Copies of the building insurance and schedule Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Portland leasehold premises is £350. For Portland 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 answers.

I acquired a 2 bed flat in Portland, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding flats in Portland with over 90 years remaining are worth £176,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2073

With 50 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £31,400 and £36,200 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.