I am soon to exchange on the purchase of a house in Danbury but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have managed to agree reparation from the current proprietors of £3k in the form of a adjustment in the price. This was going to be addressed as part of amending the contract but Aldermore are not allowing this. Why were they involved?

The conveyancer that is on a Aldermore approved list is required to inform Aldermore of any variations to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your property lawyer to disclose the price change to Aldermore then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Aldermore and you would have to appoint a new property lawyer for your conveyancing in Danbury.

Just bought a terraced house in Danbury , What is the estimated time for the Land Registry to record the transfer to my name? My Danbury conveyancing solicitor works at snail pace, so I want to be certain the registration is addressed.

As far as conveyancing in Danbury registration is no quicker or slower than anywhere else in the country. Rather than based on location, timeframes can vary depending on who lodges the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry communicate with any interested parties. As of today in the region of 80% of submission are completed within two weeks but some can be subject to extensive delays. Historically registration is effected after the buyer has moved in to the premises thus post completion formalities is not usually top priority yet where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your lawyers must communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for an expedited registration.

Am I right to be concerned that estate agents that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a nationwide conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street Danbury conveyancing firm?

As is the case with lots of professional services, often recommendations from family and friends can be worth their weight in gold. But there are numerous players in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, financial adviser and mortgage companies may put forward conveyancers to appoint. On occasion the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but occasionally there exists a commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You are free to appoint your preferred conveyancer. However, bear in mind that the majority of banks operate an approved list of lawyers you must use for the mortgage aspect of your transaction.

I only have 72 years left on my lease in Danbury. I now want to get lease extension but my freeholder is missing. What options are available to me?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to track down the lessor. In some cases a specialist may be useful to conduct investigations and prepare a report which can be used as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Danbury.

I acquired a split level flat in Danbury, conveyancing was carried out in 1996. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Danbury with over 90 years remaining are worth £227,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2096

With just 71 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.

The solicitors carrying out our conveyancing in Danbury has sent documents to review that indicate that the land is unregistered with epitome documents. How can it be that the property not yet recorded at HMLR?

Although the vast majorities of properties in Danbury are now registered with HM Land Registry there are still some that remain unregistered. Any property in Danbury that has been purchased since the late 1980’s will have been registered at the Land Registry under the compulsory ‘first registration’ scheme. However, if a Danbury property has not changed hands in that time then it’s likely the old fashioned title deeds will be the only evidence of ownership.Many Danbury conveyancing practitioners will be able to handle such matters but in the event that uncertainty prevails the prevailing guidance nowadays is for the seller to register the title first and thereafter deal with the sale conveyance - this undoubtedly cause a protracted transaction.