It is is a decade since I bought my property in Aston. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been appointed on the sale but I can't locate my title documents. Is this a problem?

Don’t worry too much. First there is a chance that the deeds will be with the lender or they may be in the possession of the lawyers who acted in the purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Aston involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

I have a mortgage with HSBC for my property in Aston. Conveyancing has been completed some time ago. In the event that I decide to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform HSBC?

You must advise HSBC before renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of HSBC’s mortgage conditions. It may be that HSBC will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact HSBC directly. You need not do this via a HSBC conveyancing panel solicitor.

After much negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Aston. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers. I paid an upfront payment of £225. A few days later, the solicitor contacted me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Coventry BS panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I am due to exchange contracts on my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in April 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, RBS are being difficult. The Aston solicitor who is on the RBS conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but RBS are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do RBS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that RBS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why RBS may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

What does commercial conveyancing in Aston cover?

Aston conveyancing for business premises incorporates a wide array of advice, offered by qualified solicitors, relating to business premises. By way of example, this type of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more commonly, the assignment of existing leases or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial loans and the termination of leases.

I only have 68 years unexpired on my flat in Aston. I now want to extend my lease but my freeholder is missing. What options are available to me?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to track down the lessor. In some cases a specialist would be useful to try and locate and to produce an expert document which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Aston.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Aston - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

How much is the yearly maintenance fee and ground rent? What prohibitions are there in the Aston Lease?

I am looking to purchase a repossessed flat in Aston and the mortgagee in possession demand completion inside 28 days. Do conveyancing practitioners meet that timeframe? Am I best advised to select a local Aston firm or an online conveyancer that advertises to offer speedy conveyancing?

Attend your Aston shopping parade. Pop in to a couple of companies and ask to see a conveyancing solicitor for a quote. Set out your needs and seek a commitment on speed. Choose the one that appears most efficient. Make sure to select a conveyancing practitioner on the panel of conveyancers acceptable to your mortgage company.