Please help. My Deptford lawyer is informing me me that he has toconduct Deptford conveyancing searches asthe firm are on the Nat Westapproved lawyer panel. Is my lawyer correct?

You have limited options available to you. Given that you are taking out a loan with a lender your solicitor has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your property lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your lender’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook provisions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Deptford conveyancing searches.

Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that may affect a commercial site in Deptford?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Deptford will order a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers expend in looking into accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Deptford. The search result sets out definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Deptford.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Deptford it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can result in delays to Deptford commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not ordered for domestic conveyancing in Deptford.

How difficult is it to swap conveyancer as I need to choose a firm on the Coventry Building Society conveyancing panel. I instructed a high street conveyancing solicitor in Deptford round the corner but the firm is not accepted by Coventry Building Society

It would be our pleasure to help you find a conveyancing solicitor in Deptford on the Coventry Building Society panel. Please note that the solicitors that we list do not pay us a referral fee if you instruct them and are registered with the SRA who regulate all conveyancing solicitors in Deptford. In utilising search facility on this website, you can scrutinise fees for conveyancing solicitors in Deptford and throughout England and Wales.

I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Deptford for my house move. Is there any facility to review a solicitor's record with the profession’s regulator?

Anyone may find documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations arising from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find information Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors record, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA sometimes monitor telephone calls for training requirements.

I am attracted to a two maisonettes in Deptford which have in the region of 50 years unexpired on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold flat in Deptford is a deteriorating asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it reduces the marketability of the property. For most buyers and mortgage companies, leases with under eighty years become less and less attractive. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a property with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Deptford conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without getting anywhere. Can one make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Deptford conveyancing firm to represent me?

Where there is a absentee landlord or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to decide the premium.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Deptford premises is 41 Endwell Road in March 2013. this matter relateed to the acquisition of the freehold of a mid- terraced Victorian house converted into three separate self-contained dwellings. By an order dated 28/11/2012, Deputy District Judge Cole in the Bromley County Court held that the leaseholders were entitled to acquire the freehold and directed that the premium payable be determined by this Tribunal. The Tribunal assessed the premium to be £14,753 This case was in relation to 3 flats. The unexpired lease term was 80.01 years.