I have just been advised by my IFA that my East Finchley lawyer is not on the mortgage company Conveyancing panel. What can I do to check?

You need to contact your East Finchley conveyancer. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to inform you of the situation. Where they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your bank.

When will exchange of contracts occur in domestic conveyancing in East Finchley and do I need to be at the conveyancers office?

If you are near to one of the conveyancing solicitors in East Finchley you are invited in to sign contracts. That being said, the law practices we recommend offer countrywide coverage for conveyancing and give just as diligent and professional a job for you when communicating with you by post or email. The signing of the contract is not the critical part. Signing on the dotted line is just a prerequisite for the firm to exchange contracts when the time is right, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The exchange process is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a long "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in East Finchley)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.

What can a local search tell me concerning the property we're purchasing in East Finchley?

East Finchley conveyancing often commences with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search company such as PSG The local search is essential in every East Finchley conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any nasty surprises after you move into your property. The search should supply data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 topic sections.

I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor for my conveyancing in East Finchley. I happened to stumble across a site which appears to be the ideal offering If there is a chance to get all the legals done via web that would be preferable. Should I be concerned? What are the potential pitfalls?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

Back In 2001, I bought a leasehold house in East Finchley. Conveyancing and mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1994. The conveyancing solicitor in East Finchley who acted for me is not around. What should I do?

First make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a East Finchley conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I inherited a 1 bedroom flat in East Finchley, conveyancing was carried out 3 years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Corresponding flats in East Finchley with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease finishes on 21st October 50

With only 50 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.