My solicitor has discovered a a legal deficiency with the lease for the property we are buying in Gwaelod Y Garth. The other side have suggested defective title insurance as a workaround. We are content with insurance and will pay for it. Our conveyancing practitioner has advised that he must ensure that the mortgage company is content with this solution. Are we the client or is the lender?

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the risk of a conflict of interest, you and the lender are the client. Your property lawyer must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the mortgage company can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your conveyancing practitioner will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

I am buying a property in Gwaelod Y Garth. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Principality be concerned?

Given that your lender is Principality your lawyer must follow the formal requirements set out in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Principality. The CML Handbook sets out minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Principality where a lease does not comply with these conditions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not isolated to Gwaelod Y Garth.

We expect to receive a DIP from Lloyds this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Lloyds recommend any Gwaelod Y Garth solicitors on the Lloyds conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Gwaelod Y Garth solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Lloyds through the process.

I have paid off my mortgage with Clydesdale. I assume I don't need a Gwaelod Y Garth property lawyer on the Clydesdale panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.

If you have finished paying off your Clydesdale 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 Clydesdale mortgage from the register. Clydesdale, 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 Clydesdale has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Clydesdale has instructed the Land Registry to do so

Just had an offer accepted on a new build flat in Gwaelod Y Garth. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Gwaelod Y Garth

Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one round the corner in Gwaelod Y Garth I like with amenity areas and station nearby, the downside is that it only has 49 years on the lease. There is not much else in Gwaelod Y Garth suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

Should you require a mortgage that many years will likely be problematic. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you can request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Gwaelod Y Garth from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Gwaelod Y Garth can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you have the original share document. Obtaining a new share certificate can be a time consuming process and delays many a Gwaelod Y Garth conveyancing deal. If a new share is needed, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later. If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Gwaelod Y Garth leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such changes. If you dont have the consents to hand you should not contact the landlord without checking with your conveyancer in the first instance. Many freeholders or managing agents in Gwaelod Y Garth charge for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Gwaelod Y Garth. You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to double-check via your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is less than 75 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

I bought a studio flat in Gwaelod Y Garth, conveyancing was carried out 6 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Equivalent properties in Gwaelod Y Garth with over 90 years remaining are worth £260,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease expires on 21st October 2100

With 75 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £8,600 and £9,800 plus costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.