My god-son is about to exchange on a new build apartment in South Norwood with a home loan from . His solicitor 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 form is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer 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 conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

I acquired my house on 3 February and my personal details is yet to be registered. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in South Norwood advises it should be formalised in less than a month. Are titles in South Norwood uniquely lengthy to register?

There is nothing unique about conveyancing in South Norwood registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can vary subject to the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry communicate with any third parties. As of today approximately three quarters of such applications are completed within two weeks but occasionally there can be longer delays. Historically registration occurs once the purchaser has moved in to the property therefore registration formalities is not usually an essential issue yet where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your solicitor should communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.

I decided to have a survey done on a property in South Norwood ahead of instructing conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. Our surveyor advised that some banks will not grant a mortgage on a flying freehold house.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different instructions from Nationwide. If you call us we can check via the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in South Norwood. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

I am using a search engine for the phrase conveyancing in South Norwood it brings up numerous solicitorsin the area. How do I determine which is the right property lawyer for purchase transaction?

The ideal way of finding a suitable conveyancer is through a personal referral, so ask friends and those you trust who have purchased a property in South Norwood or the respected estate agent or financial adviser. Fees for conveyancing in South Norwood differ, so it's a good idea to secure at least four fee estimates from varying types of law firms. Be sure to seek confirmation that the charges are assured not to escalate.

There are only Fifty years unexpired on my flat in South Norwood. I now want to get lease extension but my landlord is absent. What should I do?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have used your best endeavours to find the lessor. On the whole an enquiry agent may be helpful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document to be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing South Norwood.

Leasehold Conveyancing in South Norwood - A selection of Queries Prior to buying

Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge liability? How is the lease structured? This question is useful as a) areas could cause problems for the building as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate if repairs are not paid for b) if the tenants have an issue with the running of the building you will wish to know about it