My previous conveyancer has quoted £1200 for leasehold conveyancing in Whetstone. I am selling a purpose built house for £275,000. This seems over the top. Is it in excess of what I should be paying for conveyancing in Whetstone?

The estimate does seem marginally steep. Where you are content to spend time scrutinising prices you might reduce the fees marginally by perhaps £125. That being said, you mightcome to rue opting for an an untested lawyer. Don't forget to ensure that the conveyancer can represent your lender. You can make use of our comparison tool to choose a Whetstone conveyancing firm on the lender’s member panel which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Whetstone.

The Whetstone conveyancing solicitors that I appointed last week on my house acquisition in Whetstone have without warning closed. They were on acting for me because I had to have a solicitor on the UBS conveyancing panel and my previous Whetstone lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take £195 for searches. What should be my next steps?

If you have an estate agent involved then let them know straight away so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the UBS conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to help.

Various web forums that I have frequented warn that are the main cause of delay in Whetstone conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the top 10 causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Searches are unlikely to feature in any slowing down conveyancing in Whetstone.

I am buying a new build flat in Whetstone. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Here is a sample of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Whetstone

If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared.

I am intending to sublet my leasehold flat in Whetstone. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Some leases for properties in Whetstone do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord cannot unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

I am the registered owner of a garden flat in Whetstone. In the absence of agreement between myself and the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount payable for a lease extension?

in cases where there is a missing freeholder or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to judgment on the amount due.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Whetstone premises is Flat 2 2 Netherfield Road in April 2010. The Tribunale held that premium payable for a 90 year extension to the existing Lease should be £7,705. This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 76 years.