It is is a decade since I acquired my home in The Ridgeway. Conveyancing lawyers have just been appointed on the sale but I am unable to locate my title documents. Is this a major issue?

You need not be too concerned. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be with your lender or they may still be with the conveyancers who oversaw your purchase. Secondly in all probability the land will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in The Ridgeway relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it is more of a problem but is not insurmountable.

Our lender has suggested solicitors on their panel based in The Ridgeway but I would rather choose a conveyancing lawyer in The Ridgeway local to me. Can you assist?

Far from all The Ridgeway conveyancing practices are approved and listed on all banks conveyancing panel. Please make the most of the above find an approved solicitor tool to locate a The Ridgeway conveyancing firm on the on the lender panel.

I have been told that property searches are the number one reason for hinderance in The Ridgeway conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published findings of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature within the top 10 causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Local searches are not likely to feature in any holding up conveyancing in The Ridgeway.

In my capacity as executor for the will of my aunt I am disposing of a house in Swansea but I am based in The Ridgeway. My solicitor (who is 300 kilometers awayrequires that I execute a statutory declaration before the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing practitioner in The Ridgeway to witness this legal document for me?

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

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in The Ridgeway with the purpose of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in The Ridgeway can be bypassed where you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? The Ridgeway leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. Should you fail to have the paperwork to hand do not communicate with the landlord without checking with your conveyancer in the first instance. If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should ensure that you are holding the original share certificate. Organising a replacement share certificate is often a time consuming process and frustrates many a The Ridgeway conveyancing deal. Where a new share certificate is needed, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later. Many freeholders or Management Companies in The Ridgeway levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in The Ridgeway. You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be advisable verify this via your lawyers. A buyer’s conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the lease term is under 75 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

I am the registered owner of a ground-floor 1960’s flat in The Ridgeway. Given that I can not reach agreement with the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the premium payable for the purchase of the freehold?

if there is a missing freeholder or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to decide the sum to be paid.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a The Ridgeway property is Various @ Colombus Square in January 2012. the Tribunal calculated the premiums to be paid for new leases for each of the flats in Mariners Walk to be £3822 and the premium to be paid for the new lease of 2 Knights Court to be £4439. This case was in relation to 13 flats. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 76 years.