My god-son is about to exchange on a newly built flat in Heath with a mortgage from Nottingham. His solicitor has said that there is a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. What is this document - I have never come across this before?

The form is intended to provide information to the main parties engaged in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Nottingham conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when asked. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Nottingham conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

I'm converting the mortgage on my primary house to a buy to let loan with Virgin Money and I will use the rest of the raised equity as a deposit on another property. The neighborhood we are interested in is Heath. Will your solicitors be able to act for the two mortgage companies and tie in the conveyances?

Make use of our comparison tool on this site to check that the solicitors are approved by both mortgage companies. On the basis that they are your lawyer should be able to tie up the two deals but you should have a chat with you lawyer and specify your desired outcome and needs.

My father has suggested that I appoint his conveyancing solicitors in Heath. Should I use them?

Much as we are happy to recommend a Heath conveyancing lawyer the best way to find a conveyancing lawyer is to have recommendations from friends or family who have actually previously instructed the firm that you are considering.

I only have 72 years left on my lease in Heath. I now want to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What are my options?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to find the lessor. In some cases a specialist may be helpful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Heath.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Heath - A selection of Questions you should consider before buying

The best form of lease arrangement is if the freehold reversion is owned by the leaseholders. In this scenario the tenants benefit from control and even though a managing agent is often retained if the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. What prohibitions are contained in the Heath Lease?

My nephew is about to join the property ladder, the home loan was agreed last week in principle. When the seller agreed the offer on the apartment we telephoned the building society to move forward with his. I was disappointed to hear that banks do not accept all lawyer, they must be on their panel, is this legal?

Banks tend to restrict either the type or the number of conveyancing firms on their approved list of lawyers. Typical examples of such restriction(s) being that a firm must have two or more partners. In addition to restricting the type of firm, some have decided to limit the number of firms they use to represent them. You should note that lenders have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any Heath property lawyer on their panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the rationalisation of conveyancing panels a few years ago and whilst there are differing views about the extent of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry reveal that thousands of law firms only carry out one or two conveyances a year. Those supporting conveyancing panel cuts ask why law firms should have the right to be on a Lender panel when clearly, conveyancing is not their speciality. To put it another way; would you want a conveyancing solicitor to represent you if you were charged with a crime? Presumably not.