It is 10 years ago since I purchased my home in Rottingdean. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been instructed on the sale but I can't locate the title deeds. Is this a major issue?

Don’t worry too much. First the deeds may be with your mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the conveyancers who acted in the purchase. Secondly in most cases the property will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Rottingdean relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your home is not registered it is more tricky but is resolvable.

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in Rottingdean. I now require my file however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Rottingdean of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and found one round the corner in Rottingdean I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it's only got 49 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Rottingdean in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term may be an issue. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.

As co-executor for the will of my grandmother I am selling a property in Cardiff but I am based in Rottingdean. My lawyer (based 235 kilometers awayhas requested that I sign a stat dec before completion. Can you recommend a conveyancing solicitor in Rottingdean to attest this legal document for me?

Technically speaking you are not likely to need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are based in Rottingdean

How up-to-date is your database of lawyers on the mortgage company conveyancing panel in Rottingdean? Do the mortgage companies send you an updated list?

Rottingdean law firm practices and firms carrying out conveyancing in Rottingdean themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the lender conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from the bank directly.