It is a dozen years since I bought my house in Standish. Conveyancing solicitors have just been retained on the sale but I am unable to find the title deeds. Is this a problem?

Don’t worry too much. Firstly the deeds may be retained by the mortgage company or they may be archived with the lawyers who handled the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors procuring up to date copy of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Standish relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

I had intended to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Standish for our house purchase. Our financial adviser has since notified us that our mortgage lenders The Mortgage Works won't deal with them. Surely this is unfair competition?

Before the recession most banks had an appetite for risk which was higher than today. Almost all Standish conveyancing firms would have been on most mortgage company panels. The financial services regulator in 2010 carried out a thematic review into mortgage fraud which come to the conclusion: know the conveyancing solicitors dealt with. Consequently, mortgage companies have regularly sought more data from law firms relating to their operations and their employees as well as set certain criteria such a completing on a minimum number of transactions. Many Standish conveyancing firms that have been excluded from lender panels have Unblemished track record, no complaints and no claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Standish is one of the hundreds of areas where the solicitors we list are are authorised to act for The Mortgage Works.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in two weeks back in what should have been a quick, no chain conveyancing. Standish is where the house is located. Can you offer any opinion?

Flying freeholds in Standish are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Standish you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Standish may determine 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 premises.

In scouring the internet for the term conveyancing in Standish it brings up numerous solicitorsin the area. How do I determine which is the suitable conveyancer for the sale of my house?

The ideal way of seeking the right conveyancer is through a personal testimonial, so enquire of friends and relatives who have bought a property in Standish or the respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Charges for conveyancing in Standish differ, so it's advisable to request at least three quotes from varying types of companies. Make sure that you clarify that the costs are guaranteed not to to be inflated.

Back In 2006, I bought a leasehold house in Standish. Conveyancing and Alliance & Leicester mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Standish who previously acted has long since retired. Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a Standish conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I purchased a 2 bed flat in Standish, conveyancing formalities finalised 8 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable properties in Standish with an extended lease are worth £191,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2078

You have 54 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £31,400 and £36,200 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.