It is a dozen years since I bought my house in Allenton. Conveyancing lawyers have now been instructed on the sale but I can't find my deeds. Is this a major issue?

Don’t worry too much. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be retained by your mortgage company or they may still be with the solicitor who acted in your purchase. Secondly in most cases the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors procuring current official copies of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Allenton relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.

Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a online directory to to identify practices on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society conveyancing panel for instance in Allenton?

We are not aware of any intention on the part of the BSA to promote such a search facility.

I have been told that property searches are the primary reason for obstruction in Allenton house deals. Is that correct?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released findings of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the top 10 causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Local searches are unlikely to feature in any delay in conveyancing in Allenton.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Allenton. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Allenton

Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my 2 bed apartment in Allenton.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have recently received a yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

It best that you pay the invoice as you normally would given that all ground rent and maintenance charges should be allottedon completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process