I recently had an offer agreed on an apartment in Tilehurst. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their conveyancer. I paid an upfront payment of £225. Shortly after, the conveyancing practitioner contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Aldermore panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Planning on purchasing a flat in Tilehurst. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Skipton 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 Tilehurst property lawyer is on the Skipton conveyancing panel.

RBS have agreed my home loan in principle, my bid on a flat in Tilehurst has been accepted, what happens next?

The property agent will wish to be advised as to your conveyancer's details (ensure that the solicitors are on the bank’s approved list). Telephone RBS or your broker and finish off any outstanding documentation. RBS will appoint a valuer who will get in contact with the selling agent or seller to schedule a time for the valuation to happen. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes approximately ten days for the mortgage offer to be issued. RBS will issue the offer to you and your conveyancing practitioners. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Tilehurst.

How does conveyancing in Tilehurst differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build property in Tilehurst contact us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is built. This is because builders in Tilehurst tend to buy the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Tilehurst or who has acted in the same development.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on two weeks back in what should have been a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Tilehurst is the location of the property. Can you offer any assistance?

Flying freeholds in Tilehurst are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Tilehurst you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Tilehurst may ascertain 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 premises.

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing solicitor in Tilehurst for my purchase. Is it possible to review a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?

Members of the public may search for documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations arising from investigations commenced on or after 1 January 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For details about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors history, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For callers outside the UK, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA sometimes monitor call for training purposes.

I own a leasehold house in Tilehurst. Conveyancing and Yorkshire Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing practitioner in Tilehurst who acted for me is not around. Any advice?

First contact HMLR to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. There is no need to incur the fees of a Tilehurst conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I invested in buying a split level flat in Tilehurst, conveyancing was carried out May 2006. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in Tilehurst with over 90 years remaining are worth £222,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2096

You have 71 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as 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 supply a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.