Finally the sale completed on my house in West Dean last June yet the purchaser is e-mailing every few hours to say his solicitor is waiting to hear from mine. What should my lawyer have done following completion?

Following your house sale your conveyancer is obliged to send the transfer documentation and all additional paperwork to the buyer’s lawyers. Where appropriate, your solicitor should also evidence that the home loan has been repaid to the buyers conveyancers. There are no post completion requirements unique to conveyancing in West Dean.

What will a local search inform me about the property we're buying in West Dean?

West Dean conveyancing often starts with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search company such as Searches UK The local search plays a central part in many a West Dean conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any unpleasant surprises after you move into your new home. The search will provide information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 subject headings.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on last month in what should have been a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. West Dean is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in West Dean are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in West Dean you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in West Dean may ascertain 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 property.

I only have 72 years remaining on my flat in West Dean. I now wish to get lease extension but my freeholder is can not be found. What options are available to me?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to track down the landlord. In some cases a specialist may be useful to conduct investigations and to produce a report to be used as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing West Dean.

West Dean Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should ask before buying

The majority of West Dean leasehold apartments will have a service bill for maintenance of the block levied on behalf of the landlord. Should you buy the flat you will have to meet this charge, usually quarterly accross the year. This can vary from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large communal areas. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, ordinarily this is not a significant sum, say about £50-£100 but you should to enquire as on occasion it can be many hundreds of pounds. This information is helpful as a) areas can result in problems in the block as the common areas may begin to deteriorate where maintenance remain unpaid b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the managing agents you will need to have complete disclosure How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their maintenance charge payments?

I am purchasing a house with all finances in place. I have provided conveyancer with two separate proof of photographic ID, bank statement, endless utility bills. Now he requires a copy from a probate lawyer stating that the funds are in order and that it has come from inheritance and not selling fake DVD.

For some years now requires conveyancing solicitors as well as banks, building societies and other financial institutes to obtain satisfactory evidence of the identity of the client. This is because solicitors who deal with money and property on behalf of their clients can be used by criminals wishing to launder money. In order to comply with the law of money laundering, your West Dean conveyancing lawyer will need to obtain evidence of your identity as as well as make sure that your funds are legitimate.