All was ready to move into my new home in Yarm On Tees next Monday. I have now been asked to send a copy of my building insurance schedule by my solicitor as as she informs me that she is duty bound to validate that it is in order for the lender. What risks does the bank expect the insurance to cover?

All property lawyers on acting for mortgage companies would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s Part 2 requirements. These obligations are not limited to conveyancing in Yarm On Tees.

I am the registered owner of a freehold house in Yarm On Tees but nevertheless charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Yarm On Tees and has limited impact for conveyancing in Yarm On Tees but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges have existed for hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 is to be extinguished.

I'm the only beneficiary of my late father’s estate and I have everything in my name now, including the house in Yarm On Tees. The Yarm On Tees property was put into my name in September. I now wish to sell up. I understand that there is a Mortgage Lenders 6 month 'rule', meaning my proprietorship will be regarded the same way as though I had purchased the property in September. Is the property unsalable for six months?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook mandates solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you might be impacted by that. Most mortgage companies would take a sensible view as this clause is chiefly there to identify the purchase and immediately sell or the wholesaling and assigning of property.

I recently had an offer agreed on an apartment in Yarm On Tees. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers. I paid an on account payment of £200. A couple of days later, the property lawyer contacted me to say that they were not on the TSB 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 TSB 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.

I am due to exchange contracts on my house. I had a double glazing fitted in August 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, UBS are being a right pain. The Yarm On Tees solicitor who is on the UBS conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but UBS are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do UBS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that UBS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why UBS may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

A friend suggested that where I am purchasing in Yarm On Tees I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is usually quoted for as part of the standard Yarm On Tees conveyancing searches. It is a large report of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing significant information about Yarm On Tees around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Yarm On Tees Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Yarm On Tees.

I'm purchasing a flat in Yarm On Tees. I have found my conveyancer's company on the Law Society's list, but I can't find my lawyer's name on the list. Is this a big problem?

Not every individual in the company must be listed by the regulator. Provided there is a manager qualified to 'oversee' the conveyancing, the actual day-to-day activity can be conducted by unqualified staff.