Please explain the implications if my lawyer’s firm is suspended from the Santander Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in New Milton?

First, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.

Should our conveyancer be raising enquiries regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in New Milton.

Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors dealing with homes in New Milton. Some people will purchase a property in New Milton, fully aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or sell the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Solicitors are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a numerous checks that can be initiated by the buyer or by their solicitors which can give them a better appreciation of the risks in New Milton. The standard property information forms supplied to a purchaser’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a usual inquiry of the vendor to determine if the premises has ever been flooded. If the property has been flooded in past and is not revealed by the vendor, then a buyer may commence a claim for damages as a result of such an misleading reply. The purchaser’s solicitors may also order an enviro report. This will indicate whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries will need to be conducted.

Taking into account that I will soon spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a garden flat in New Milton I wish to talk to a lawyer regarding thehome move in advance of giving the go ahead to the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

We could not agree more - we would be pleased to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the lawyer who will be doing your property ownership legalities in New Milton.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is an important individual, not a case reference. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are calculated and presented to you for your conveyancing in New Milton should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.

As co-executor for the estate of my uncle I am selling a residence in Newport but reside in New Milton. My conveyancer (who is 235 kilometers from meneeds me to sign a stat dec prior to completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in New Milton who can witness and place their company stamp on the document?

Technically speaking you are unlikely to need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are New Milton based

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in New Milton what are the most common lease problems?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in New Milton. Most leases are individual and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain provisions are missing. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

A duty to insure the building Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.

You may have difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. HSBC Bank, Chelsea Building Society, and Barclays Direct all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to provide security, obliging the purchaser to pull out.

I purchased a garden flat in New Milton, conveyancing was carried out 6 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable properties in New Milton with an extended lease are worth £206,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease runs out on 21st October 2091

With only 66 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £12,400 and £14,200 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is 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 the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.