This question may be naive but I am unexperienced as a 1st time purchaser of a two bedroom flat in The Ridgeway. Do I receive the keys to the premises on completion from my lawyer? If this is the case, I will appoint a local conveyancing solicitor in The Ridgeway?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will electronically transfer the completion advance to the owner’s conveyancers, and once they have received this, you should be invited to collect the keys from the Estate Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this happens early afternoon.

Can I be sure that the The Ridgeway conveyancing solicitor on the RBS panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in The Ridgeway getting recommendations is a sensible start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always recommend that you speak with the lawyer conducting your conveyancing.

HSBC have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on a property in The Ridgeway has been accepted, now what?

Your estate agent will want to know who your solicitors are (be sure the conveyancers are on the lender’s approved list). Telephone HSBC or your financial adviser and finalise any relevant forms. HSBC will appoint a valuer who will get in contact with the selling agent or vendor to schedule an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about ten days to receive the mortgage offer. HSBC will issue the offer to you and your property lawyers. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in The Ridgeway.

three months have elapsed following my purchase conveyancing in The Ridgeway completed. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £215,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the residence from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I am purchasing a new build house in The Ridgeway with a mortgage from Barnsley Building Society. The developers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative advised me not disclose to my lawyer about this deal as it would adversely affect my mortgage with Barnsley Building Society. 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 own a leasehold house in The Ridgeway. Conveyancing and Chelsea Building Society mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing practitioner in The Ridgeway who previously acted has now retired. Do I pay?

First make enquiries of the Land Registry to be sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a The Ridgeway conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord to extend my lease without any joy. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on such matters? Can you recommend a The Ridgeway conveyancing firm to represent me?

You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a The Ridgeway conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a The Ridgeway flat is Various @ Colombus Square in January 2012. the Tribunal calculated the premiums to be paid for new leases for each of the flats in Mariners Walk to be £3822 and the premium to be paid for the new lease of 2 Knights Court to be £4439. This case was in relation to 13 flats. The unexpired term was 76 years.

My lawyer in The Ridgeway has requested from me proof of ID documents saying that this forms part of his retainer as a solicitor on the lender Solicitor panel. Is this right?

Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules require The Ridgeway conveyancing solicitors and licensed conveyancers to verify the identity of the person or body they are dealing with before they can accept their conveyancing business. The Client Care letter that you need to sign will no doubt confirm this. Your lawyer is right that the mortgage company also require certain documents to be viewed. If a you refuse to provide ID verification documents, your conveyancer would not be able to accept instructions from you. Your lawyer also has obligations to obtain certain documents in accordance with the lender's UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements