It is 10 years ago since I bought my home in Ladbroke Grove. Conveyancing solicitors have just been instructed on the sale but I can't find the deeds. Is this a major issue?

Don’t worry too much. First the deeds may be retained by your mortgage company or they could be in the possession of the solicitor who handled the purchase. Secondly in all probability the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Ladbroke Grove relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is unregistered it is more problematic but is resolvable.

I am assisting my niece sell her house in Ladbroke Grove. Will the conveyancer order an energy performance certificate or it is for the seller to see to?

After the demise of HIPs, energy performance certificates was kept a compulsory part of selling a house. An EPC should be to hand in advance of the property being marketed. It is not as aspect of the sale process that solicitors ordinarily arrange. Where you are using a Ladbroke Grove conveyancing practitioner they may be willing to arrange energy assessments due to their contacts with reputable local assessors

is it true that all Ladbroke Grove conveyancing solicitors on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel they would need to be overseen by the SRA. Some banks do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the firms would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I was told four weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Yorkshire BS. Is it usual for Yorkshire BS to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Ladbroke Grove is approved on their conveyancing panel? Yorkshire BS have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their Professional Indemnity Insurance Schedule.

Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Yorkshire BS to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

Me and my brother own a terraced Victorian property in Ladbroke Grove. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Skipton Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the matching address. Is it worth asking Skipton Building Society to clarify?

You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Ladbroke Grove and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also question the position with the conveyancing solicitor who conducted the work.

I opted to have a survey completed on a property in Ladbroke Grove in advance of instructing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor advised that some mortgage companies will not issue a mortgage on this type of home.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different instructions from Halifax. Should you wish to call us we can check via the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Ladbroke Grove. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Ladbroke Grove especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Ladbroke Grove.

Last July I purchased a leasehold property in Ladbroke Grove. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

We have reached the end of our tether in trying to purchase the freehold in Ladbroke Grove. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Ladbroke Grove conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Ladbroke Grove residence is Flat 1 57 Oxford Gardens in January 2014. the Tribunal decided that the premium to be paidfor a new lease is £61,650.00. This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 60 years.