I have just been advised by my financial adviser that my Rubery the law firm I have appointed is not on the lender Conveyancing panel. What can I do to check?

The first thing you need to do is to call your Rubery lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they may be able to suggest a Rubery conveyancing firm that is on the conveyancing panel for your mortgage company.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and found one close by in Rubery I like with amenity areas and station in the vicinity, however it only has 61 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Rubery for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

Should you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will be an issue. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises for at least 2 years you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this.

Is it best to instruct a Rubery conveyancing practitioner based in the vicinity that I am buying? I have an old university friend who can conduct the legal formalities but his firm is located a couple of hundredkilometers away.

The benefit of a local Rubery conveyancing practice is that you can drop in to execute paperwork, deliver your ID and apply pressure on them if necessary. Having local Rubery know how is a bonus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who used your friend and in the main were content that must outweigh using an unknown Rubery conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being Rubery based.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Rubery. Conveyancing and mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1992. The conveyancing solicitor in Rubery who acted for me is not around. Any advice?

First make enquiries of the Land Registry to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a Rubery conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Rubery Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

Is the freehold owned collectively by the leaseholders? What is the length of the lease? Can you tell me if there are any major works on the horizon that will add a premium to the service charges?

My father purchased his flat in Rubery ten years ago. He has been married, widowed and has recently married again. He will be selling the property next summer. I suspect that he will simply be requested to provide a copy of his marriage certificates to the however he is worried it could hold up the home sale. Is it worth updating the Land Registry documents for the property?

It is not absolutely necessary to update the title for the property as long as you have the proof required to demonstrate how the name change occurred.

The purchaser’s will examine the land registry information and request evidence to prove the name change for instance marriage documentation.