The Redcar and Cleveland conveyancing lawyers that just started acting on my house acquisition in Redcar and Cleveland have without warning shut down. I only went with them because I needed a lawyer on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel and my previous Redcar and Cleveland lawyer was not. I cut them a cheque for two hundred pounds in advance. What are my options?

If you have an estate agent involved then let them know immediately so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Virgin Money 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 solicitors may be able to help.

My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Redcar and Cleveland. Conveyancing is needed. What happens now?

Now that you have legally bound yourself to purchase you now have to retain a conveyancing practitioner soon as you are facing a fast approaching a drop dead date to complete the property. All auction property will ordinarily have a corresponding legal set of papers. This will include evidence of title and search results. In the case of leasehold premises the legal pack should contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing documentation specific to a leasehold property. You need to pass this on to your appointed conveyancing solicitor at the earliest opportunity. Do make sure that you have funds in order to complete on the date specified in the contract.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Redcar and Cleveland. I have a mortgage agreed with Barclays. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Barclays, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Barclays conveyancing panel.

Planning on purchasing a maisonette in Redcar and Cleveland. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Redcar and Cleveland property lawyer is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel.

I'm purchasing my first flat in Redcar and Cleveland with the aid of help to buy. The builders would not move on the amount so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The property agent suggested that I not disclose to my lawyer about the side-deal as it would put at risk my mortgage with the lender. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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.

I am selling my house. My former solicitors closed down. I would be grateful for any recommendation of a conveyancing firm. Im based in Redcar and Cleveland if that affects matters.

Please use our search tool to help you find a solicitor for your conveyancing in Redcar and Cleveland. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with regulated solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move goes with a minimum of fuss.

We own a leasehold flat in Redcar and Cleveland. Conveyancing was finished in five years ago. I have been told that I mustn’t let the lease length get too low. What is the reasoning?

Redcar and Cleveland leasehold properties are for a prescribed period - normally just under one hundred years when they started. However a significant appartments in Redcar and Cleveland were built or converted in the 70’s80’s and so these leases now have less than eighty years unexpired. This may sound like plenty of time however Banks, Building Societies and other mortgage lenders generally need leases to have at least seventy five years remaining to adequate security. Accordingly when you come to sell the property you will need a lease extension if you are approaching 75 years. To enhance the marketability of your property you should be considering whether or not to extend your lease long before you come to sell it. Please note that there are significant benefits to taking action before the lease reaches even 80 years as when the lease falls below eighty years the amount to be paid to extend starts to get a lot more expensive.