At long last a mortgage offer from NatWest for the remortgage of my single bedroom flat is coming by the end of next week. Are you able to put forward a low cost conveyancing law firm in St Anns?

You have come to the wrong place to search for the cheapest conveyancing solicitors in St Anns. Our intention is to offer affordable conveyancing but our intention is not to advertise as being the cheapest. Resist the temptation to appoint organisations offering low cost conveyancing in St Anns. In your best case scenario, in being led by cheap conveyancing, you will get your money’s worth and at worst you will end up being stung for extras and still not get the service you were looking for.

Our god-son is about to exchange on a new build apartment in St Anns with a home loan from UBS. His solicitor has advised him of 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 involved in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the UBS conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when requested. 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 UBS conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

Is it correct that all St Anns CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the HSBC conveyancing panel?

A selection of banks and building societies now use CQS as the kick off point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS membership however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to remain on their panels.

Can I be sure that the St Anns conveyancing solicitor on the Nationwide panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in St Anns seeking recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always advocate that you speak with the solicitor carrying out your transaction.

After shopping around on the internet I have found a St Anns property lawyer having checked that they are on the UBS conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

UBS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually UBS will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own St Anns surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on two weeks back in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. St Anns is where the house is located. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in St Anns are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside St Anns you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in St Anns may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.

How does one as executor remove a deceased person's details from the title deeds for a property in St Anns?

If a St Anns property is co-owned and one of the owners dies, the name will not automatically be removed from the Land Registry title. You are not required to amend the title as when it comes to a sale your lawyer would simply be asked to evidence why the joint proprietor is not included in the transfer, such as a grant of probate.

With the aim of making things simpler in the future you may arrange to have the deceased person erased from the title by submitting an application to HMLR with evidence of the death. There is no land registry fee payable.