Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Enfield Town is not on my mortgage company's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of his conveyancing?

That is most likely an incorrect assumption to make. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Enfield Town conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.

In what way does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Enfield Town? What am I being asked for?

Enfield Town conveyancing solicitors and indeed property lawyers throughout the UK have a duty under money laundering regulations to verify the identity of any client with a view to ensure that clients are who they say they are.

Conveyancing clients are required to provide two forms of certified ID; proof of identity (typically a Passport or Driving Licence) and evidence of address (typically a Utility Bill less than 3 months old).

Confirmation of source of funds is also necessary under the money laundering regulations as solicitors are mandated to ensure that the money you are using to buy a property (whether it be the deposit for exchange or the full purchase monies where you are a cash purchaser) has originated from an acceptable source (such as an inheritance) and is not the fruits of criminal behaviour.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and found one close by in Enfield Town I like with a park and station nearby, however it only has 61 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Enfield Town suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this.

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Enfield Town. Before I get started I require certainty as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Enfield Town - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I own a ground flat in Enfield Town. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the sum payable for the purchase of the freehold?

Most certainly. We can put you in touch with a Enfield Town conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Enfield Town premises is First Floor Flat 109 Lyndhurst Road in May 2010. Following a vesting order by Edmonton County Court on 29th October 2009 the Tribunal decided on a figure of £5,012 for a lease extension. This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 81.79 years.

I have recently placed an offer on an apartment in Enfield Town and the broker that we are using suggested his conveyancer. She quoted nine hundred pounds plus VAT and 3rd party costs. Does this sound reasonable?

You should not rely on a single quote. You should seek like-for-like quotes for your conveyancing in Enfield Town. Then choose one that you are comfortable with and crucially, is on the approved list of the lender that you have applied for a mortgage from.