Our son-in-law is buying a newly built flat in Woodside with a home loan from Leeds Building Society. His solicitor has said that there is a delay in receiving 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 involved in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when requested. 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 Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Woodside in advance of retaining lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the house. My surveyor advised that some banks will refuse to grant a mortgage on this type of home.

It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different instructions for example to Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to call us we can check with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Woodside. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Woodside especially if they are acquainted with such properties in Woodside.

I am looking for a conveyancing practitioner in Woodside for my home move. Is there any facility to review a firm’s complaints history with the profession’s regulator?

One can read presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions resulting from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find details Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA could recorded call for training reasons.

What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Woodside conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Woodside conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you make enquires with several firms including non Woodside conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions could be of use:

What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Woodside in the last 12 months?

Following months of dialogue we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Woodside. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

if there is a missing landlord or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the LVT to make a decision on the price.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Woodside property is Ground Floor Flat 14 Lodge Road in October 2013. the tribunal held that the price payable for the acquisition of the extended lease of the property should be £12,590 .00 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 69.46 years.

I am purchasing a leasehold property in Woodside. Conveyancing quotes are coming in at around £1800. Is that reasonable?

The average cost last year for conveyancing in Woodside was £1,395 excluding Stamp Duty and Land Registry fees.