We had instructed conveyancing lawyers locally in Flitwick on the Kent Reliance solicitor approved list. They have just invoiced me a supplemental amount for dealing with the Kent Reliance mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Kent Reliance?

Unfortunately, so long as it is in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your conveyancer is entitled to charge a fee for this. This fee is not set by Kent Reliance but by your Flitwick solicitor. Numerous firms on the Kent Reliance panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but some practices incorporate it on their overall fee.

I have paid off my mortgage with Co-operative. I assume I don't need a Flitwick property lawyer on the Co-operative panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.

If you have finished paying off your Co-operative mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Co-operative mortgage from the register. Co-operative, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Co-operative has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Co-operative has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I can not fathom if my lender obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called into my local Flitwick bank branch on numerous occasions and was reassured it wasn't an issue and they would lend. My Flitwick conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- called and was told they refuse to lend based on their published requirements. Who do I believe?

The conveyancing practitioner has to comply with the CML Handbook section two provisions for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

My friend advised me that if I am buying in Flitwick I should ask my conveyancer to execute a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is usually included in the estimate for your Flitwick conveyancing searches. It is a large report of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Flitwick around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Flitwick Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Flitwick Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning Flitwick.

I'm buying a new build house in Flitwick with a loan from Lloyds TSB Bank. The builders would not move on the amount so I negotiated 6k of additionals instead. The estate agent suggested that I not inform my solicitor about the deal as it would adversely affect my loan with Lloyds TSB Bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Flitwick prior to retaining lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor advised that some banks tend not grant a loan on a flying freehold premises.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Halifax. If you call us we can check with the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Flitwick. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Flitwick to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

I am employed by a long established estate agency in Flitwick where we have witnessed a number of leasehold sales derailed as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local Flitwick conveyancing firms. Could you clarify whether the seller of a flat can commence 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. 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.

Alternatively, it may be possible 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 buyer.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Flitwick - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

The best form of lease structure is where the freehold reversion is owned by the leaseholders. In this scenario the leaseholders enjoy control and even though a managing agent is often retained where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. You should want to find out as much as possible about the company managing the block as they can either make your life much simpler or problematic. Being a leasehold owner you will be in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to practical issues like the tidiness of the communal areas. Don't be afraid to ask other tenants what they think of their service. In conclusion, investigate as to the dates that the service charges are due to the managing agents and precisely what you get for your money.