My solicitor has discovered a a legal deficiency with the lease for the apartment we are purchasing in Oxton. The other side have suggested defective title insurance as a solution. We are content with insurance and will pay for it. Our conveyancer has advised that he must be satisfied that the bank is willing to move forward with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the lender?

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and the lender are the client. Your property lawyer must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the bank can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your conveyancer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Oxton. My lender is Nationwide Building Society

Nationwide Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 3/12/2025, the requirements read as follows :

I used Action Conveyancing several years ago for my conveyancing in Oxton. I now require my file but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Oxton of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and identified one close by in Oxton I like with open areas and station in the vicinity, however it's only got 51 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Oxton suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term may be an issue. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

My partner and I soon to exchange buying a property in Oxton but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have negotiated recompense from the vendor of five thousand pounds taking the form of a deduction in the price. This was going to be addressed as part of the conveyancing process however my mortgage company will not permit this. Should they have been involved?

Any conveyancing practitioner that is on a bank approved list is obliged to inform the bank of any variations to the purchase amount. If you prohibit your property lawyer to report the reduction to your lender then they would have to disinstructing themselves from acting for you and the lender.