It is 10 years ago since I bought my house in Askam In Furness. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been appointed on the sale but I can't locate the deeds. Will this cause complications?

You need not be too concerned. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be retained by your lender or they could stored with the solicitor who acted in your purchase. Secondly in all probability the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Askam In Furness involves registered property but in the rare situation where your property is not registered it is more of a problem but is not insurmountable.

Can you clarify what the consequences are if my solicitor is suspended from the Santander Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Askam In Furness?

First, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.

Will our lawyer be raising questions about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Askam In Furness.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers specialising in conveyancing in Askam In Furness. There are those who acquire a house in Askam In Furness, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable insurance cover, or sell the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not best placed to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a number of searches that may be undertaken by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which should give them a better understanding of the risks in Askam In Furness. The conventional set of property information forms sent to a buyer’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a usual inquiry of the owner to find out whether the premises has ever been flooded. If the premises has been flooded in past which is not disclosed by the owner, then a purchaser could bring a compensation claim stemming from an inaccurate answer. A purchaser’s solicitors may also order an environmental report. This will disclose whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations should be initiated.

I have todayfound out that Stirling Law have been shut down. They conducted my conveyancing in Askam In Furness for a purchase of a leasehold flat 9 months ago. How can I check that the property is in my name in the name of the former proprietor?

The quickest way to check if the premises is in your name, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Askam In Furness conveyancing specialists.

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

If you are instructing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Askam In Furness conveyancing practice) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you speak with two or three firms including non Askam In Furness conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be helpful:

How many lease extensions have they carried out in Askam In Furness in the last 12 months? What are the costs for lease extension work?

Leasehold Conveyancing in Askam In Furness - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

Best to be warned if redecorating or some other significant cost is due in the foreseeable future that will be shared between the leaseholders and could well dramatically impact the level of the service fees or necessitate a specific payment. Plenty Askam In Furness leasehold properties will be liable to pay a service charge for the upkeep of the building levied by the management company. Where you acquire the apartment you will have to meet this liability, normally quarterly during the year. This could vary from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built blocks. There will also be a rentcharge to be met yearly, this is usually not a large sum, say about £50-£100 but you need to check it because occasionally it could be many hundreds of pounds.