I am expecting a mortgage offer from Lloyds. I hope to employ the services of a Licensed Conveyancer in Workington. Does the Lloyds Solicitor panel include Licensed Conveyancers?

The Lloyds approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders, represented by the Council or Mortgage Lenders or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years ago for my conveyancing in Workington. I now require my papers but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Workington of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £305k and identified one near me in Workington I like with amenity areas and station in the vicinity, however it only has 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Workington for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?

If you require a home loan that many years may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.

I own a leasehold house in Workington. Conveyancing and Aldermore mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Workington who previously acted has now retired. What should I do?

First contact HMLR to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. It is not necessary to instruct a Workington conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I own a split level flat in Workington, conveyancing having been completed in 1998. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Workington with over 90 years remaining are worth £222,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2095

You have 71 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £9,500 and £11,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range 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. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

Are all Workington property lawyers on every bank conveyancing panel?

The Lexsure search tool on this page may be of use or you can go into your high street lender branch in Workington. Chances are that they can recommend conveyancing solicitors in Workington