It is is a decade since I bought my property in Brighouse. Conveyancing solicitors have just been retained on the sale but I can't find my title documents. Is this a problem?

You need not be too concerned. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be with the lender or they could be in the possession of the lawyers who oversaw your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Brighouse involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is not registered it is more problematic but is resolvable.

Is it the case that all Brighouse solicitor practices on the conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the SRA. Some mortgage companies do list licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the firms would be governed by the CLC.

I currently have a mortgage with for my property in Brighouse. Conveyancing was finalised 12 months ago. In the event that I decide to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform ?

Your original mortgage agreement with will provide that you need their approval prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of ’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent 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 directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a conveyancing panel lawyer.

I can not fathom if my lender requires a lease extension. I have telephoned my Brighouse building society branch on numerous occasions and was told it does not affect the mortgage offer and they would lend. My Brighouse conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- called to say that they would not lend based on their published requirements. I have no idea who is right.

Provided that the is on the mortgage company approved list, she or he must adhere to the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook specifications for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

We are selling our property in Brighouse and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was constructed on contaminated land. Any high street Brighouse conveyancer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the buyers are using a nationwide conveyancing firm rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Brighouse. Having lived in Brighouse for 4 years we know that this is a non issue. Should we contact our local Authority to get confirmation need.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. What do they say? You must check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)

Expecting to complete next month on a garden flat in Brighouse. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they report fully within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Brighouse should include some of the following:

Rent payments - how much and when is collected, and be on notice if this is subject to change You would want to receive a copy of the lease What options are open to you if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease? specifics of the parties to the lease, e.g. these could be the leaseholder, superior lessor, freeholder

Brighouse Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

What prohibitions exist in the Brighouse Lease? Who is in charge of the building? It would be a good idea to investigate if the the lease includes any adverse restrictions in the lease. For instance some leases prohibit pets being allowed in in a block in Brighouse. If you like the apartmentin Brighouse yet your dog is not allowed to make the move with you then you will be presented with a difficult compromise.

Am in the process of buying my 1st property in Brighouse. Conveyancing lawyer already instructed. The broker advised that a survey is not necessary as the property was only built in 1997.

The bare minimum you need a Home Buyer's Report. As the premises was built more than a decade ago the property will be without a warranty, so you would be well advised not to take a risk. Where a property of this age shows no signs of defects a Home Buyer's report may suffice. They will highlight any apparent problems and recommend further investigation where appropriate. If there are any indications of problems seek a full Building Survey from the beginning.