Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Cranham is not on my bank's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of his work?

It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) lack of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should contact the Cranham conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.

Having sold my house in Cranham last October but the buyer keeps Skype messaging me complaining that their solicitor needs to hear from mysolicitor. What should have happened following completion?

Post completion of your house sale your lawyer should deliver the transfer deeds and all supplemental paperwork to the buyer’s lawyers. Depending on the transaction, your conveyancer must also confirm that the home loan has been paid off to the buyers conveyancers. There is unlikely to be post completion procedures peculiar conveyancing in Cranham.

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years ago for my conveyancing in Cranham. I now require my file but cannot find the solicitor. 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 Cranham of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I own a leasehold flat in Cranham. Conveyancing and Chelsea Building Society mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1998. The conveyancing practitioner in Cranham who previously acted has long since retired. What should I do?

First make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to instruct a Cranham conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. You should note that in any event, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I have given up negotiating a lease extension in Cranham. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

You certainly can. We are happy to put you in touch with a Cranham conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Cranham flat is 37 Lodge Court High Street in November 2013. the decision of the LVT was that the premium to be paid for the new lease was £25,559 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 57.5 years.

We are midway through purchasing a house in Cranham. Conveyancing lawyer has told us the title is "Leasehold". Will this likely make a difference on the salability of the house?

Cranham conveyancing does not ordinarily involve leasehold houses. The main consideration here is the remaining lease term and the ground rent. If it's 999 years with a peppercorn rent, it's essentially freehold, so it’s unlikely to impact the value significantly.

At the other extreme, if it's, say, Sixty years it will have a adverse effect on the saleability, and most likely wouldn't be acceptable to the bank. The remaining lease term and ground rent will be set out in the lease provided to your solicitor.