Due to move into my new home in Bampton next Thursday. I have now been asked to send a copy of my building insurance schedule by my solicitor as he says that he has to check this in his capacity as lawyer for the lender. What risks does the bank expect the insurance to cover?

All property lawyers on acting for banks would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s Part 2 requirements. These obligations are not unique to conveyancing in Bampton.

My apartment in Bampton is up for sale and I have accepted an offer. Will my have to be required to be on the conveyancing panel in order to deal with the discharge of my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their specifications fairly frequently at the moment.

What will a local search tell me about the property I am buying in Bampton?

Bampton conveyancing often starts with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search organisations such as PSG The local search plays a central part in many a Bampton conveyancing purchase; as long as you don’t want any unpleasant surprises after you move into your new home. The search will supply data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen topic areas.

The deeds to my house can not be found. The conveyancers who dealt with the conveyancing in Bampton 5 years ago have long since closed. Will I be able to sell the house?

As long as the title is registered the information relating to your ownership will be retained by HMLR under a Title Number. It is possible to execute a search at the Land Registry, find your house and secure up to date copies of the Registered Entries for less than a fiver. If the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will in most cases hold a certified duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be obtained for £20 inclusive of VAT.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Bampton. Conveyancing and mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing practitioner in Bampton who acted for me is not around. What should I do?

First contact HMLR to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Bampton conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Bampton Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? How many years are left on the lease? The answer will be important as a) areas can result in problems for the block as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate where maintenance are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the managing agents you will need to know about it