Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Halesworth is not identified on my bank's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of his conveyancing?

That would more than likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are plenty of plausible explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Halesworth conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.

The deeds to my property are lost. The conveyancers who conducted the conveyancing in Halesworth 10 years ago have long since closed. What are my next steps?

You no longer need to have the physical deeds to evidence that you are the owner of your registered land or premises, given that the Land Registry have everything they need in a digital format.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Halesworth I like with a park and railway links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 51 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Halesworth in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage that many years may be problematic. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least twenty four months you could request that they start the process of the extension and pass 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 solicitor about this.

Am I better off to appoint a Halesworth conveyancing lawyer who is local to the property I am hoping to buy? We have a good friend who can conduct the legal formalities however his firm is located 400kilometers away.

The benefit of a high street Halesworth conveyancing practice is that you can attend the office to execute documents, hand in your ID and pester them where appropriate. Having local Halesworth know how is a benefit. That being said it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have instructed your friend and in the main were content that must surpass using an unfamiliar Halesworth conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being local.

I bought a 2 bed flat in Halesworth, conveyancing formalities finalised 1995. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Halesworth with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease terminates on 21st October 50

You have 50 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to range between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.