Me and my partner are about to exchange buying a property in Manor House but as a consequence of damage from the recent storms I have managed to agree compensation from the vendor of £2k by way of a adjustment in the price. I had intended this to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process but Nationwide are not allowing this. Should they have been approached?

The solicitor that is on the Nationwide approved list is duty bound to advise Nationwide of any variations to the purchase price. If you prohibit your lawyer to report the reduction to Nationwide then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Nationwide and you would have to appoint a new conveyancing practitioner for your conveyancing in Manor House.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on two weeks back in what should have been a simple, no chain conveyancing. Manor House is the location of the property. Can you offer any advice?

Flying freeholds in Manor House are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Manor House you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Manor House may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

How can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my commercial property in Manor House and how can you help?

The 1954 Act affords security of tenure to commercial leaseholders, giving them the dueness to make a request to court for a new lease and remain in occupation at the end of an expired lease. There are limited grounds that a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are involved. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Manor House is one of the many locations in which our lawyers are located

I work for a busy estate agent office in Manor House where we have experienced a number of leasehold sales put at risk due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Manor House conveyancing firms. Please can you shed some light as to whether the seller of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without success. Can I make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Manor House conveyancing firm to help?

in cases where there is a missing landlord or where there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the LVT to determine the price payable.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Manor House flat is 51 Lorne Road in November 2009. The price Payable as decided by the tribunal for the freehold reversion was £27,000. The valuation follows the order of the County Court made on 3 April 2008 granting a vesting order. This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 71 years.

I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor flat in Manor House.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is pay the maintenance contribution as usual as all ground rent and maintenance charges should be allottedon completion, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process