Me and my brother purchased a 4 bedroom Edwardian house in Greenhithe. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Platform Home Loans Ltd. 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 with the matching property. Is it worth asking Platform Home Loans Ltd to clarify?

You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be 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 Greenhithe and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also question the situation with the conveyancing practitioner who completed the work.

How does conveyancing in Greenhithe differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Greenhithe come to us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is constructed. This is because developers in Greenhithe typically buy the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Greenhithe or who has acted in the same development.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what should have been a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Greenhithe is where the house is located. Is there any advice you can impart?

Flying freeholds in Greenhithe are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Greenhithe you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Greenhithe may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

My fiance and I may need to rent out our Greenhithe 1st floor flat for a while due to a career opportunity. We used a Greenhithe conveyancing firm in 2002 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Your lease dictates relations between the landlord and you the leaseholder; specifically, it will indicate if subletting is not allowed, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The rule is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. The majority of leases in Greenhithe do not contain an absolute prevention of subletting – such a clause would adversely affect the market value the property. In most cases there is a basic requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a copy of the sublease.

I am the leaseholder of a a ground floor purpose built flat in Greenhithe. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the amount payable for a lease extension?

You certainly can. We are happy to put you in touch with a Greenhithe conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Greenhithe property is Various @ Colombus Square in January 2012. the Tribunal calculated the premiums to be paid for new leases for each of the flats in Mariners Walk to be £3822 and the premium to be paid for the new lease of 2 Knights Court to be £4439. This case affected 13 flats. The unexpired term was 76 years.

At what point do I pay the Stamp Duty Land Tax due for my Greenhithe property purchase?

Your conveyancer should complete a stamp duty return for you as part of your Greenhithe purchase transaction for signature. After completion your lawyer will submit the STL Return Form to the Tax Authorities and - as long as they have the funds - settle any tax bill due on your behalf.