Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a search tool with a view to list firms on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society conveyancing panel for example in Spennymoor?

Lexsure has not been advised of any plans on the part of the BSA to develop such a tool.

I used Stirling Law several years ago for my conveyancing in Spennymoor. I now require my papers but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate 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 Spennymoor of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in two weeks back in what should have been a simple, chain free conveyancing. Spennymoor is the location of the property. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Spennymoor are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Spennymoor you would need to get your solicitor to go 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 Spennymoor may decide 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 residence.

In my capacity as executor for the will of my grandmother I am selling a house in Newport but live in Spennymoor. My conveyancer (who is 235 kilometers from merequires that I sign a stat dec prior to completion. Can you recommend a conveyancing practitioner in Spennymoor to attest this legal document for me?

strictly speaking you should not need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or qualified solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are Spennymoor based

I am a negotiator for a reputable estate agent office in Spennymoor where we have witnessed a few flat sales jeopardised due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local Spennymoor conveyancing solicitors. Could you clarify whether the vendor of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer need not have to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

I invested in buying a 2 bed flat in Spennymoor, conveyancing having been completed 8 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable properties in Spennymoor with an extended lease are worth £176,000. The ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease finishes on 21st October 2105

With just 80 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £8,600 and £9,800 plus legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.