We wanted to use a conveyancing solicitor in Prudhoe for our house move. Our broker has since advised us that our mortgage lenders Coventry Building Society won't deal with them. Surely this is unfair competition?

Mortgage Companies on the whole imposes restrictions either the category or the volume of conveyancing solicitors on their approved list of lawyers. A common example of such criteria being that a law practice must not be a sole practitioner. In addition to restricting the profile of firm, some have decided to limit the number of solicitor practices they allow to represent them. You should note that Coventry Building Society have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any member of Coventry Building Society Conveyancer Panel. Mortgage fraud was a primary driver in the reduction of solicitor panels a few years ago even though there remains mixed opinions concerning the extent of solicitor engagement in some of that fraud. Figures from the Land Registry indicate that plenty of law firms, including some in or near Prudhoe only execute very few conveyances a year.

What does a local search inform me regarding the house I am purchasing in Prudhoe?

Prudhoe conveyancing often starts with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search company such as Xpress Legal The local search plays an important role in many a Prudhoe conveyancing purchase; that is if you don’t want any nasty surprises after you move into your new home. The search will provide data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen topic sections.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on last month in what should have been a simple, chain free conveyancing. Prudhoe is where the house is located. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Prudhoe are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Prudhoe you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Prudhoe may determine 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 premises.

In my capacity as executor for the estate of my grandfather I am disposing of a property in Swansea but live in Prudhoe. My solicitor (who is 260 miles awayrequires that I sign a statutory declaration ahead of the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing solicitor in Prudhoe who can witness this legal document for me?

strictly speaking you should not need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally or notary public or qualified solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are located in Prudhoe

What makes a Prudhoe lease defective?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Prudhoe. Most leases are unique and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are not included. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the property

A defective lease can cause problems when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Santander, Barnsley Building Society, and Barclays Direct all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is problematic they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.

I purchased a 2 bed flat in Prudhoe, conveyancing was carried out 5 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Prudhoe with a long lease are worth £195,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2088

You have 63 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £16,200 and £18,600 as well as legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. 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. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.