My solicitor has identified a defect with the lease for the flat we are purchasing in Atherstone. The other side have suggested title insurance as a solution. We are content with insurance and will cover the costs. Our property lawyer says that he must check that the bank is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the lender?

Even though you have a mortgage offer from the mortgage company does not mean to say that the property will meet their specifications for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions. You and the bank are the client. These conveyancing instructions must be adhered to.

I am buying a right to buy a flat in Atherstone. How practical is it for me to do the conveyancing?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Atherstone you will have to appoint a solicitor on your lender's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Atherstone.

I used Action Conveyancing a few years past for my conveyancing in Atherstone. I now require my file but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

Do call 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 Atherstone of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I put an offer in two weeks back in what was supposed to be a simple, chain free conveyancing. Atherstone is the location of the property. Can you offer any opinion?

Flying freeholds in Atherstone are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Atherstone you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Atherstone may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.

My husband and I may need to sub-let our Atherstone ground floor flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Atherstone conveyancing practice in 2002 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

Even though your previous Atherstone conveyancing lawyer is not around you can check your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the premises. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you need to obtain consent from your landlord or some other party prior to subletting. This means that you cannot sublet without prior consent. Such consent must not not be unreasonably turned down. If your lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I invested in buying a 1st floor flat in Atherstone, conveyancing was carried out in 1999. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Atherstone with over 90 years remaining are worth £255,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease runs out on 21st October 2098

With 73 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range above 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. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.