I was referred a solicitor who has sent a quote for £1350 for freehold conveyancing in Lee. I am hoping to downsize from a Edwardian house for £250,000. Are these estimated fees excessive? Is it in excess of the average fee for conveyancing in Lee?

The quote is fractionally on the high side. Where you are content to expend time scrutinising charges you may be able to reduce the fees slightly by perhaps £125. On the other hand, you maylive to rue choosing an an unknown lawyer. Don't forget to check the conveyancer can act for your bank. You can use our search tool to get a quote a Lee conveyancing company on the lender’s conveyancing panel which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Lee.

I have a decision in principle. The bank mentioned the loan came with free conveyancing. Is the implication that I have to appoint their panel solicitor as I would much rather use a Lee based conveyancing firm?

You should check but the chances are that allocate you one of their panel lawyers should you take up the "fee-free" incentive. Speak to the bank and ask if they offer you a monetary alternative. Some mortgage companies have previously offered a £250 cashback as a further option in which case you could put that amount towards your preferred conveyancing solicitor in Lee.

Me and my brother purchased a semi-detached Georgian property in Lee. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and The Mortgage Works. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the matching address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be 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 Lee and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also question the position with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the conveyancing.

As co-executor for the will of my father I am disposing of a property in Monmouth but I am based in Lee. My conveyancer (who is 300 miles from meneeds me to execute a stat dec ahead of the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing practitioner in Lee who can attest and place their company stamp on the document?

strictly speaking you should not be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or qualified solicitor will do regardless of whether they are Lee based

I am looking at a couple of flats in Lee both have in the region of fifty years remaining on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold apartment in Lee is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The nearer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the salability of the property. The majority of purchasers 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 premises 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 premises 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 Lee 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. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new 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 am the registered owner of a first floor flat in Lee. Given that I can not reach agreement with the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount payable for a lease extension?

if there is a absentee freeholder or where there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to make a decision on the premium.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Lee flat is 18 Handen Road in April 2013. On 26 October 2012 District Judge Zimmels sitting at the Lambeth County Court made a Vesting Order that the Applicants be granted the right to acquire the freehold upon such terms and at such price determined by the LVT. The Tribunal arrived a figure of £39,535 as a valuation for the enfranchisement. This case was in relation to 3 flats. The unexpired lease term was 69.05 years.