My grandmother passed away 10 months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the property in Workington. The house had a relatively small loan remaining of approximately £5k. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Nationwide, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?

Given you intend to refinance then Nationwide will require that you use a conveyancer on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Nationwide conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Nationwide mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

is it true that all Workington conveyancing solicitors on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Many banks do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be regulated by the CLC.

We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Virgin Money. Workington conveyancing lawyers have been chosen. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Virgin Money?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Virgin Money completed the survey? Have you informed Virgin Money as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.

It is unclear whether my bank requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Workington building society branch on numerous occasions and was told it does not affect the mortgage offer and they will lend. My Workington conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they will not lend in accordance with their specific requirements. Who do I believe?

Provided that the conveyancer is on the lender approved list, they must adhere to the CML Handbook conditions for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my home can not be found. The solicitors who handled the conveyancing in Workington 4 years ago no longer exist. What are my options?

In today’s world there are copies made of almost everything, and your solicitor will be aware exactly where to find all the appropriate documentation so you can buy or dispose of your property without a hitch. Where duplicates can’t be located, your conveyancer can put in place insurance or indemnities protecting you against future claims on the property.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one near me in Workington I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, however it only has 49 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Workington for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

If you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you could request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.

Can a conveyancer remove someone from the title of my property in Workington ?

Subtracting or adding someone to the title of your home is relatively straightforward. You’ll need to appoint a conveyancing practitioner to discuss your legal rights before you can proceed with a transfer of property. Contact us to book a free consultation with one a property lawyer