We see that you have a post code search directory listing solicitors on the Santander conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a commission if I appoint them for our own conveyancing in Ditchling?

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Santander conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Ditchling.

My wife and I have a semi-detached Victorian house in Ditchling. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Skipton Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Ditchling and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also question the position with your conveyancing solicitor who completed the work.

My husband and I are 17 days into a leasehold purchase having been directed to solicitors by the estate agent to perform conveyancing in Ditchling. We are not happy. Could you help me find new conveyancers?

A conveyancer would need to be very bad to suggest diss instructing them. Has your loan offer been sent? In the event that it has you need to make them aware of the replacement solicitor and get the offer are issued to the new lawyers. The conveyancer needs to be on the mortgage company approved list to avoid supplemental charges and frustration. So that should be your first question of the new solicitors. The search tool will help you find a bank approved conveyancer for your conveyancing in Ditchling

I am employed by a busy estate agency in Ditchling where we have experienced a few leasehold sales put at risk as a result of short leases. I have been given conflicting advice from local Ditchling conveyancing firms. Can you confirm whether the owner of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Ditchling - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

Who manages the building? What restrictions are there in the Ditchling Lease? Its a good idea to find out as much as you can regarding the company managing the block as they can either make your life much simpler or much more difficult. As the owner of a leasehold property you will be at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to every day issues such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Enquire of other people what they think of their management. On a final note, find out the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the appropriate party and precisely how they are spending that money.

My wife and I have appointed a Ditchling conveyancing solicitor for our home move (first time buyers) and have spotted in the Ts and Cs that they are not covered by the Financial Conduct Authority. Am I right to be concerned or is that usually the case with lawyer?

We can't see why they should be. Most property lawyer don't lend money. They will be governed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, who dictate stringent obligations in relation to monies held in their bank.