I have been told that property searches are the main reason for stalling in Victoria Docks house deals. Is this right?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the most frequent causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Searches are unlikely to be the root cause of slowing down conveyancing in Victoria Docks.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our property are lost. The lawyers who dealt with the conveyancing in Victoria Docks 10 years ago no longer exist. What do I do?

As long as you have a registered title the information relating to your proprietorship will be retained by the Land Registry under a Title Number. It is easy to execute a search at the Land Registry, locate your property and obtain up to date copies of the Registered Entries for less than a fiver. Where the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually hold a certified duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be obtained for a small fee.

I am a sole trader planning to take over a lease of an office on a shopping parade. Can you recommend conveyancers offering fixed fees for commercial conveyancing in Victoria Docks for less than 1500k?

We are happy to recommend firms who have specialist knowledge of commercial conveyancing in Victoria Docks, including the sale and purchase of businesses as well as simply premises. If you are intending to buy or dispose of a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail unit or a whole business we will find you the right lawyer. As for the costs this will depend on the structure and complexity of the deal. Let us have your details or email so as to enable us to provide you with a fixed commercial conveyancing calculation.

I wish to sublet my leasehold apartment in Victoria Docks. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Notwithstanding that your last Victoria Docks conveyancing solicitor is no longer available you can review your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the property. The rule is that if the lease is non-specific, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you need to seek consent from your landlord or other appropriate person in advance of subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of prior permission. The consent should not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

I am the proprietor of a garden flat in Victoria Docks. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the amount due for a lease extension?

in cases where there is a absentee landlord or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant legislation it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to decide the price payable.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Victoria Docks flat is 46 Credon Road in January 2014. On 11 September 2013 Deputy District Judge Price sitting at the Bow County Court made a vesting order that the freeholder surrender his lease and be granted a new lease of the Premises on such terms as may be determined by the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).The appropriate sum as concluded by the Tribunal was £7225 This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 69.77 years.

My partner and I intend to buy our first property in Victoria Docks. Conveyancing lawyer has been selected. The financial consultant pointed out that a survey is not appropriate as the house was only constructed 16 yrs ago.

You would be well advised to take a Home Buyer's Report. Given the premises was constructed over a decade ago the property will not come with a warranty, so you don't want to take a risk. Where a property of this age shows no signs of defects a Home Buyer's report could be sufficient. The report should highlight any obvious problems and suggest additional investigation if relevant. If there are any indications of material issues get a full Building Survey from the beginning.