I am progressing with the sale of my house in Treuddyn and the EA has just e-mailed to advise that the buyers are changing their solicitor. The excuse is that the bank will only deal with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a major mortgage company only deal with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Treuddyn ?

Lenders have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in recent years big names such as Santander, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.

Mortgage companies blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the reduction – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The purchasers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

A relative advised me that where I am purchasing in Treuddyn I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard Treuddyn conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Treuddyn around the property and the people living there. It includes 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 statistics, Treuddyn Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Treuddyn.

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Treuddyn prior to retaining lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the house. Our surveyor advised that some lenders may refuse to grant a loan on such a house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different requirements from Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can check via the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Treuddyn. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Treuddyn especially if they regularly deal with such properties in Treuddyn.

In what way can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my commercial property in Treuddyn and how can you help?

The particular law that you refer to gives a safeguard to business leaseholders, giving them the a statutory right to apply to court for a continuation of occupancy when the lease comes to an end. There are certain specified grounds where a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are complicated. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing firms who use the act for protection and handle your commercial conveyancing in Treuddyn

Last August I purchased a leasehold flat in Treuddyn. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?

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. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure 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 1st floor flat in Treuddyn, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. 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? Comparable properties in Treuddyn with an extended lease are worth £227,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2097

With only 72 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.