Me and my partner are purchasing a property in Watlington. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a solicitor? On completion day we have to put money into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our money?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

Are all Watlington Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing list of approved solicitors?

Some major banks and building societies now use CQS as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to join their approved list of firms.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Kent Reliance. I assume I don't need a Watlington solicitor on the Kent Reliance panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Kent Reliance mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Kent Reliance mortgage from the register. Kent Reliance, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Kent Reliance has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Kent Reliance has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Watlington I like with open areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it only has 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Watlington for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?

If you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.

I am a sole trader planning to lease a unit on a shopping parade. Can you recommend lawyers offering no-sale-no fees for non-domestic conveyancing in Watlington for less than £1,200?

We can recommend firms who have specialist knowledge of commercial conveyancing in Watlington, including the sale and purchase of businesses as well as simply premises. Whether you are hoping to purchase or dispose of a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail premises or a whole business we will find you the right firm. As for the charges this will depend on the structure and heads of terms of the deal. Let us have your contact information or call us so that we can provide you with a detailed commercial conveyancing calculation.

Am I best advised to appoint a Watlington conveyancing solicitor who is local to the property I am hoping to buy? We have a good friend who can handle the legal work however they are based 200miles drive away.

The primary upside of using a high street Watlington conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to sign paperwork, present your ID and apply pressure on them if necessary. They will also have local knowledge which is a plus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust used your friend and on the whole were impressed that should surpass using an unfamiliar Watlington conveyancing lawyer just because they are round the corner.

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

Even though your previous Watlington conveyancing lawyer is not available you can check your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the premises. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you need to obtain permission from your landlord or other appropriate person in advance of subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet without prior consent. The consent should not be unreasonably turned down. If your lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I own a ground floor flat in Watlington, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Watlington with over 90 years remaining are worth £181,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease terminates on 21st October 2075

You have 51 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £30,400 and £35,200 as well as legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.