I am about to exchange buying a property in Enfield Highway but as a result of wreckage from some water damage at the property I have managed to agree compensation from the current proprietors of £2k by way of a adjustment in the price. I had intended this to be addressed as part of the conveyancing process however Skipton are not allowing this. Should they have been informed?

Your conveyancer that is on a Skipton conveyancing panel is required to inform Skipton of any changes to the sale price. If you prohibit your conveyancer to report the reduction to Skipton then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Skipton and you would have to appoint a new property lawyer for your conveyancing in Enfield Highway.

My mortgage company has recommended solicitors on their panel based in Enfield Highway but I would rather instruct a conveyancing lawyer in Enfield Highway or nearer to where I live. Are you able to help?

Not all Enfield Highway conveyancing firms are listed all lender’s conveyancing panel. Please make use of the above find an approved solicitor tool to identify a Enfield Highway conveyancing solicitor on the on the lender panel.

I own a semi-detached Georgian house in Enfield Highway. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Accord Mortgages Ltd. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You need to assess 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 proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Enfield Highway 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 lenders. You can also check the position with your conveyancing lawyer who completed the work.

As co-executor for the estate of my father I am selling a residence in Cardiff but live in Enfield Highway. My solicitor (who is 300 kilometers awayneeds me to execute a stat dec ahead of completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing practitioner in Enfield Highway who can attest this legal document for me?

Technically speaking you are unlikely to be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or qualified solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are Enfield Highway based

I am employed by a busy estate agent office in Enfield Highway where we have experienced a number of flat sales put at risk as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Enfield Highway conveyancing firms. Can you confirm whether the vendor 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 start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer can avoid having to wait 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 simultaneously with completion of the sale.

An alternative approach is 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 buyer.

I am the leaseholder of a ground-floor 1960’s flat in Enfield Highway. Given that I can not reach agreement with the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the premium payable for a lease extension?

Where there is a absentee freeholder or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to assess the premium.

An example of a Vesting Order and Purchase of freehold decision for a Enfield Highway residence is Ground Floor Flat 4A Baronet Road in February 2010. Following a vesting order by Edmonton County Court on 23rd December 2008 (case number 8ED064) the Tribunal decided that the price that the Applicant for the freehold interest should pay is £8,689.00 This case related to 2 flats. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 80.01 years.