I am buying a newly built apartment in Grove Park and my conveyancer is advising me that she is duty bound to the bank to reveal incentives from the developer. I am on a tight deadline to exchange contracts and I have no desire to prolong matters. Is my lawyer right?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on a lender panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

Is it the case that all Grove Park solicitor practices on the Santander conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Santander conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the SRA. Many banks do list licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I can not work out if my bank requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Grove Park bank branch on various occasions and was told it wasn't a problem and they will lend. My Grove Park conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they will not lend based on their specific requirements. I simply don't know who is right.

The solicitor must comply with the CML Handbook section two requirements for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in July 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, RBS are being difficult. The Grove Park solicitor who is on the RBS conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but RBS are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do RBS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that RBS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why RBS 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.

Will our conveyancer be asking questions regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in Grove Park.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers dealing with homes in Grove Park. There are those who buy a property in Grove Park, fully expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or sell the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Solicitors are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous checks that can be undertaken by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which will figure out the risks in Grove Park. The standard completed inquiry forms sent to a buyer’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a standard question of the seller to determine if the property has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred which is not notified by the owner, then a buyer could issue a claim for damages resulting from an inaccurate reply. A purchaser’s conveyancers should also carry out an enviro search. This should reveal whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries should be carried out.

I am buying a new build house in Grove Park benefiting from help to buy. The sellers would not move on the price so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The sale representative told me not disclose to my conveyancer about the extras as it will jeopardize 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.

How difficult is it to change firm as I have to instruct one who is on the Alliance & Leicester conveyancing panel. I had appointed a high street conveyancing solicitor in Grove Park five minutes from me but the firm is not approved by Alliance & Leicester

We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in Grove Park on the Alliance & Leicester panel. Please note that the property lawyers that we list do not pay us a referral fee if you instruct them and are fully regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who regulate all conveyancing solicitors in Grove Park. Using search facility on this page, you can compare and instruct different solicitors and conveyancers both nationally and in Grove Park.