I was notified recently by my mortgage broker that my Wynyard solicitor is not on the mortgage company Solicitor panel. How can I check?

You need to call your Wynyard conveyancer. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to inform you of the situation. Where they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the conveyancing panel for your bank.

In what way does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Wynyard? Why is this being asked of me?

Wynyard conveyancing solicitors as well as nationwide property lawyers throughout the UK have a duty under money laundering regulations to verify the ID of any client with a view to ensure that clients are who they say they are.

Conveyancing clients are required to produce two forms of certified ID; proof of ID (typically a Passport or Driving Licence) and proof of address (typically a Bank Statement less than 3 months old).

Proof of the origin of monies is also necessary in compliance with the money laundering regulations as solicitors are required to investigate that the funds you are utilising to purchase a property (be it the exchange deposit or the total purchase amount if you are a cash purchaser) has come from legitimate source (such as employment savings) as opposed to the product of illegitimate activity.

I'm purchasing my first flat in Wynyard with a mortgage from Santander. The builders would not reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The house builders rep suggested that I not inform my lawyer about this extras as it may put at risk my mortgage with the lender. 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.

We're first time buyers - agreed a price, yet the estate agent has warned us that the vendor will only issue a contract if we instruct their recommended conveyancers as they are insisting on a ‘quick sale’. We would rather use a family conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Wynyard

We suspect that the seller is not behind this requirement. If they desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a serious purchaser is counter productive. Contact the sellers directly and explain that (a)you are genuine buyers (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you do not need to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you will continue to appoint your own,trusted Wynyard conveyancing lawyers - rather thanthose that will give their negotiator at the agency a referral fee or hit his conveyancing figures set by corporate headquarters.

I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed flat in Wynyard. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, however I have just had a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is pay the invoice as usual as all ground rent and maintenance payments should be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I purchased a split level flat in Wynyard, conveyancing was carried out in 1995. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar flats in Wynyard with a long lease are worth £196,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease terminates on 21st October 2088

You have 64 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £15,200 and £17,600 as well as legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.