I can't travel far from Bassaleg. Please explain the reason why all Bassaleg conveyancing practitioners are not on all bank panels?

Pre- 2008 most lenders had an attitude to risk which is different from today. The FSA in 2010 conducted a thematic review into fraud which concluded: know the lawyers on your panel. As a result, mortgage companies have since soughtmore information from law firms concerning their operations and the individuals employed by them and set certain criteria such as completing a minimum volume of transactions. Thousands of law practices have been excluded from lender panels even though they had an exemplary disciplinary record, no complaints and zero claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Such firms were never going to meet the minimum amount of transactions the mortgage companies required.

Should my solicitor be raising enquiries regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in Bassaleg.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers carrying out conveyancing in Bassaleg. There are those who acquire a property in Bassaleg, fully expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a various searches that can be carried out by the purchaser or by their lawyers which should figure out the risks in Bassaleg. The standard information sent to a buyer’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a standard inquiry of the seller to find out whether the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that the residence has been flooded in past which is not disclosed by the seller, then a buyer may issue a compensation claim as a result of such an inaccurate reply. The purchaser’s conveyancers will also conduct an environmental search. This will reveal if there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries will need to be made.

The deeds to our house can not be found. The solicitors who dealt with the conveyancing in Bassaleg 10 years ago are no longer around. What are my options?

As long as the title is registered the information relating to your ownership will be held by HMLR with a Title Number. It is easy to conduct a search at the Land Registry, identify your property and obtain up to date copies of the Registered Entries for a small fee. If the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will also normally hold a file duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for a small fee.

How can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my commercial premises in Bassaleg and how can your lawyers assist?

The 1954 Act provides security of tenure to commercial tenants, granting the right to make a request to court for a continuation of occupancy at the end of an expired lease. There are limited grounds where a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are complicated. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Bassaleg is one of the numerous areas of the UK in which our lawyers are located

I own a leasehold flat in Bassaleg. Conveyancing and Skipton Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1994. The conveyancing practitioner in Bassaleg who acted for me is not around. Do I pay?

First contact the Land Registry to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Bassaleg conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Bassaleg Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Does this lease have more than 82 years unexpired? Most Bassaleg leasehold flats will be liable to pay a service charge for the upkeep of the block set on behalf of the management company. Where you acquire the property you will have to meet this amount, normally periodically accross the year. This may differ from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common areas. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge to be met yearly, this is usually not a exorbitant sum, say around £50-£100 but you need to enquire it because occasionally it could be prohibitively expensive. Please note if it is no more than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the value of the flat. Check with your bank that they are willing to to proceed given the lease term. A short lease means that you will most likely need a lease extension at some point and you need to have some idea of how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you will need to own the premises for two years before you are eligible to extend the lease.