The Winton conveyancing solicitors that I recently instructed on my purchase in Winton have without warning closed. I chose them because I needed a firm on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel and my family Winton lawyer was not. I paid them money on account. What should be my next steps?

Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them 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 will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Clydesdale 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 assist.

I am assisting my mother sell her house in Winton. Will the conveyancing solicitor order an EPC or it is for the seller to see to?

Following the demise of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates remained a mandatory element of selling a property. An EPC needs to be commissioned in advance of the property being advertised. This is not a task that law firms ordinarily arrange. Where you are instructing a Winton conveyancing practitioner they may be able to arrange energy assessments due to their relationships with reputable local providers

I am buying a property in Winton. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. TSB have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that your lender is TSB your lawyer must check the formal instructions contained in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for TSB. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to TSB where a lease fails to comply with these conditions. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Winton.

Having read lots of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Winton solicitor - who is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

Coventry BS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Coventry BS 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. Your solicitor will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Winton postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Coventry BS, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Winton.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Winton benefiting from help to buy. The builders refused to reduce the price so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The sale representative advised me not reveal to my solicitor about this extras as it would put at risk my mortgage with Bank of Scotland. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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 was advised by a number of property agents in Winton to choose a property lawyer using your seach tool. Is there a financial upside for Estate Agents to market your site rather than a competitor’s?

We don’t offer any financial incentive for sending work to this site. We thought it would be too underhand a fee as members of the public would think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

In my capacity as executor for the estate of my father I am disposing of a house in Cardiff but I am based in Winton. My solicitor (who is 250 kilometers awayrequires that I execute a statutory declaration before completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Winton to witness this legal document for me?

strictly speaking you should not be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or qualified solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are located in Winton