Last February we completed a house move in Croydon. We have noticed several problems with the property which we believe were omitted in the conveyancing searches. Do we have any recourse? What searches should? have been ordered as part of conveyancing in Croydon?

It is not clear from the question as what problems have arisen and if they are unique to conveyancing in Croydon. Conveyancing searches and investigations initiated as part of the buying process are designed to help avoid problems. As part of the process, a seller fills in a form called a Seller’s Property Information Form. answers ends up being misleading, you could possibly take legal action against the vendor for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Croydon.

How simple is it to change solicitor as I have to appoint one who is on the Accord Mortgages Ltd conveyancing list. I had appointed a family conveyancing solicitor in Croydon round the corner but he is not approved by Accord Mortgages Ltd

We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in Croydon on the Accord Mortgages Ltd panel. Please note that the conveyancers that we on the directory do not pay us a referral fee if you instruct them and are fully regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Croydon. In utilising search facility on this site, you can scrutinise fees for conveyancing solicitors in Croydon and beyond.

In my capacity as executor for the will of my aunt I am disposing of a property in Swansea but live in Croydon. My lawyer (based 250 miles awayneeds me to sign a stat dec prior to the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Croydon to witness and place their company stamp on the document?

strictly speaking you should not be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or qualified solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are located in Croydon

I am attracted to a two maisonettes in Croydon which have in the region of fifty years left on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Croydon is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it reduces the salability of the premises. For most purchasers and lenders, leases with under 75 years become less and less attractive. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Croydon conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

Following years of correspondence we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Croydon. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

in cases where there is a absentee landlord or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant legislation it is possible to make an application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to make a decision on the amount due.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Croydon premises is 29 Woodstock Road in April 2014. the Tribunal determined that the premiums to be paid into court in respect of the purchase of the freehold registered at HMLR under Title N0.SY3997 should be £7,217. This case related to 4 flats. The unexpired lease term was 98 years.

What tools are available to search for a Croydon conveyancing solicitor on the mortgage company conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 20miles to meet the solicitor.

You can use the find a conveyancing panel search on this website. Please choose the lender and your location, in this case Croydon and you will see a number of lawyer located nearest Croydon. Alternatively you can type in the name of your proposed law firm and see if they are listed as being on the lender solicitor panel.