Should our lawyer be raising enquiries concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in East Oxford.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers conducting conveyancing in East Oxford. Some people will purchase a property in East Oxford, fully expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, suitable insurance cover, or sell the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Conveyancers are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a various searches that may be initiated by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which can figure out the risks in East Oxford. The standard property information forms sent to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a usual inquiry of the vendor to discover whether the premises has suffered from flooding. If the property has been flooded in past and is not notified by the owner, then a purchaser may commence a legal claim for losses stemming from an incorrect reply. The buyer’s lawyers may also carry out an environmental search. This should disclose if there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries should be conducted.

My wife and I own a terraced Georgian house in East Oxford. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Aldermore. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same property. Is it worth asking Aldermore to clarify?

You need to 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 East Oxford and other areas of 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 purchasers. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who carried out the work.

Given that I will soon part with hundreds of thousands of pounds on a property in East Oxford I would like to have a conversation with the conveyancer about myhouse move ahead of appointing the firm. Can this be arranged?

We could not agree more - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the lawyer due to be doing your conveyancing in East Oxford.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is an important person, not a case number. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are provided with for residential conveyancing in East Oxford should be the amount on the final invoice that you are charged.

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing solicitor in East Oxford for my home move. Is it possible to see a firm’s record with the profession’s regulator?

Members of the public may search for presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find records Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may monitor telephone calls for training reasons.

I am a negotiator for a reputable estate agency in East Oxford where we have experienced a number of flat sales put at risk as a result of short leases. I have received contradictory information from local East Oxford conveyancing solicitors. Could you shed some light as to whether the seller of a flat can commence the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that 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. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder 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.

I inherited a split level flat in East Oxford, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Corresponding flats in East Oxford with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease expires on 21st October 2081

With just 56 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £29,500 and £34,000 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.