In what way does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in East Barnet? What am I being asked for?

East Barnet conveyancing solicitors and indeed property practitioners throughout the UK have a duty under Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules to verify the identity of any client with a view to satisfy themselves that clients are who they say they are.

Conveyancing clients will need to produce two forms of certified identification; proof of identity (usually a Passport or Driving Licence) and evidence of address (typically a Bank Statement no older than three months).

Proof of the origin of funds is also required in accordance with the money laundering regulations as lawyers are duty bound to ensure that the monies you are using to acquire a property (whether it be the deposit for exchange or the total purchase amount where you are a cash purchaser) has come from a reputable source (such as employment savings) rather than the product of criminal activity.

We are downsizing from our home in East Barnet and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built on contaminated land. Any high street East Barnet lawyer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers instructed an internet conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in East Barnet. Having lived in East Barnet for three years we know that this is a non issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to obtain confirmation need.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. What do they say? You should enquire of 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)

Me and my brother have a renovated Georgian property in East Barnet. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and The Royal Bank of Scotland. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the matching address. Is it worth asking The Royal Bank of Scotland to clarify?

You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in East Barnet and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the position with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in two weeks back in what was supposed to be a quick, chain free conveyancing. East Barnet is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in East Barnet are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in East Barnet you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in East Barnet may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.

I am employed by a long established estate agency in East Barnet where we have witnessed a number of leasehold sales put at risk as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local East Barnet conveyancing solicitors. Can you clarify whether the owner of a flat can initiate the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer can avoid having to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

I own a garden flat in East Barnet. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the amount due for the purchase of the freehold?

Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a East Barnet conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a East Barnet flat is 23 Beaconsfield Road in July 2013. The Tribunals decided that the amount payable was £31,203 for the freehold. This case affected 2 flats. The remaining number of years on the lease was 70.31 years.