My financial adviser has asked me for my Carshalton lawyer’ panel member for the Lloyds conveyancing panel. Can you suggest how I discover this. I have e-mailed my local Carshalton branch but they have not responded to me.

Have you tried calling your Carshalton property lawyer about this?. Most Carshalton law practices will retain a file or database of lender panel information which would include, if applicable, their conveyancing panel details for each bank.

Various web forums that I have frequented warn that are the primary reason for delay in Carshalton conveyancing transactions. Is that correct?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the most frequent causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are not likely to feature in any delay in conveyancing in Carshalton.

I own a 4 bedroom Victorian house in Carshalton. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Barclays Direct. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the matching address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Carshalton and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and identified one round the corner in Carshalton I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, however it's only got 51 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Carshalton for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?

If you need a mortgage that many years will likely be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.

There are only 62 years left on my flat in Carshalton. I now want to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What are my options?

On the basis that 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 an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to find the lessor. In some cases an enquiry agent should be useful to try and locate and to produce a report to be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Carshalton.

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on such issues? Can you recommend a Carshalton conveyancing firm to help?

Where there is a missing freeholder or if there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to arrive at the premium.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Carshalton premises is 21 & 23 Carshalton Grove in May 2009. the Tribunal adopted the figures presented as the premiums payable by the Applicant i.e. a total of £20,750. This case affected 2 flats. The unexpired lease term was 72 years.