The Great Missenden conveyancing solicitors that just started acting on my purchase in Great Missenden have without warning shut down. I only went with them because I had to have a solicitor on the conveyancing panel and my previous Great Missenden lawyer was not. I wrote them a cheque for £250 in advance. What should be my next steps?

If you have an estate agent involved then inform them straight away so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors should be in a position to help.

Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Great Missenden prior to retaining conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. The surveyor advised that some mortgage companies will not grant a loan on a flying freehold property.

It varies from the lender to lender. HSBC has different instructions for example to Halifax. If you call us we can check with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Great Missenden. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Great Missenden especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Great Missenden.

What does commercial conveyancing in Great Missenden cover?

Non domestic conveyancing in Great Missenden incorporates a wide range of advice, provided by regulated solicitors, relating to business premises. By way of example, this area of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more usually, the transfer of existing leases or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial mortgages and the termination of leases.

I have just started marketing my 2 bed flat in Great Missenden. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, however I have recently received a half-yearly maintenance charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is clear the service charge as normal given that all rents and maintenance charges should be allotted on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

Great Missenden Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

How is the lease structured? Who are the managing agents? Plenty Great Missenden leasehold flats will incur a service charge for maintenance of the building levied on behalf of the landlord. If you acquire the property you will have to meet this charge, usually quarterly accross the year. This could differ from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common grounds. In all likelihood there will be a ground rent to be met yearly, normally this is not a exorbitant figure, say about £50-£100 but you should to check it because sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds.

I am an executor of my recently deceased mum’s Will, with a property in Great Missenden which will be marketed. The house is unregistered at the Land Registry and I'm told that some buyers solicitors will insist that it is in place before they will proceed. What's the mechanism for this?

In the situation you refer to it seems advisable to seek to register in the names of the personal representative(s) as named in the probate and in their capacity as PRs. The Land Registry’s online guidance explains how to register for the first time and what is required re the deeds and forms. You would need to include and official copy of the probate as well and complete the form FR1 to refer to the PRs as the applicant.