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

That would more than likely be an incorrect assumption to make. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters 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 lawyer 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 Martock conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and found one near me in Martock I like with a park and station nearby, however it only has 61 years on the lease. There is not much else in Martock in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will be problematic. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you can ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.

I'm refinancing my existing house to a BTL mortgage with Accord Mortgages Ltd and intend to use the remaining equity towards another house. The neighborhood we are looking at is Martock. Will your solicitors be able to act for both sets of lenders and link together the transactions?

Make use of our search tool on this page to check that the lawyers are on the relevant lender panels. On the basis that they are the solicitor should be able to tie up the two transactions but you should talk with you solicitor and specify your expectations and requirements.

Last September I purchased a leasehold house in Martock. 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 owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure 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).

I inherited a split level flat in Martock, conveyancing formalities finalised April 2006. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar properties in Martock with over 90 years remaining are worth £211,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2093

You have 68 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £9,500 and £11,000 plus professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.

I pay a maintenance fee for my flat in Martock. As a result of personal circumstances I fell into arrears with remittance. The freeholders agreed a clearance plan but there remains a couple of outstanding at the current time.

I am under pressure to sell and I am concerned this could hold me back if I have to pay off the arrears in advance. Do I have to settle before - is this viable?

You should check with the conveyancer dealing with your Martock conveyancing but it might be possible to arrange for the outstanding amount to be attributed to the buyers. The final price due would be reduced to reflect the amount of debt they assume. They would then discharge the arrears following completion of the sale.