is it true that all St Albans conveyancing solicitors on the TSB conveyancing panel are governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As solicitors, in order to be on the TSB approved list of solicitors they would need to be overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Some mortgage companies do list licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be governed by the CLC.

I am purchasing a property in St Albans. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Virgin Money be concerned?

As your lender is Virgin Money your lawyer must follow the formal requirements set out in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Virgin Money. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Virgin Money where a lease fails to satisfy these specifications. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not isolated to St Albans.

I have finally had an offer on an apartment in St Albans agreed to, but there is a chain. The sellers have offered on on an apartment, however it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. I have instructed a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in St Albans. What should be my next step? When should I get the mortgage application with Co-operative going?

It is usual to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs too early (home loan application is in the region of £1k, then valuation, St Albans conveyancing search costs, etc). The first course of action is to check that your solicitor is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Regarding the next steps this very much depends on the specifics of your case, motivation for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot market many buyers will apply for a home loan with Co-operative and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their conveyancer to proceed with the conveyancing in St Albans.

My colleague advised me that if I am purchasing in St Albans I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard St Albans conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of about 40 pages, listing and setting out important information about St Albans around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, St Albans Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information regarding St Albans.

My company is looking to lease a unit on the high street. Can you recommend conveyancers offering competitive fees for non-domestic conveyancing in St Albans for below 2k?

We are happy to recommend firms who have well rounded knowledge of commercial conveyancing in St Albans, including the sale and purchase of businesses as well as simply property. Whether you are intending to purchase or lease a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail premises or a whole business we will put you in touch with the right lawyer. Regarding the fees these will vary based on the structure and complexity of the deal. Let us have your details or telephone us so that we can supply you with a fixed commercial conveyancing quote.

I need to appoint a conveyancing solicitor for some conveyancing in St Albans. I've land on a site which looks to be the perfect offering If it is possible to get all formalities completed via phone that would be preferable. Do I need to be wary? What should out be looking out for?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 62 years unexpired on my lease in St Albans. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What should I do?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be extended by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. On the whole a specialist would be helpful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document which can be used as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering St Albans.

I acquired a split level flat in St Albans, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in St Albans with over 90 years remaining are worth £211,000. The ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2092

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

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.