Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our property can not be found. The conveyancers who did the conveyancing in Haggerston 4 years ago no longer exist. What do I do?

As long as the title is registered the details of your ownership will be documented by the Land Registry under a Title Number. It is easy to execute a search at the Land Registry, find your house and get current copies of the property title for a small fee. If the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will also normally hold a certified duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for £20 inclusive of VAT.

How does conveyancing in Haggerston differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Haggerston come to us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is built. This is because new home sellers in Haggerston typically buy the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Haggerston or who has acted in the same development.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on two weeks back in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Haggerston is the location of the property. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Haggerston are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Haggerston you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Haggerston may ascertain 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 residence.

I am using a search engine for the phrase cheap conveyancing in Haggerston it reveals many property lawyersin the vicinity. With so much choice what is the best way to find the suitable solicitor for me?

The preferential way of choosing a suitable conveyancer is via trusted referral, so ask colleagues and those you trust who have bought a property in Haggerston or a respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Charges for conveyancing in Haggerston differ, so it's a good idea to obtain at least three quotes from varying types of property lawyers. Dont forget to clarify what costs in the quote includes.

I am employed by a reputable estate agency in Haggerston where we have witnessed a number of flat sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have been given contradictory information from local Haggerston conveyancing solicitors. Please can you shed some light as to whether the owner of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

An alternative approach is 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 have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such matters? Can you recommend a Haggerston conveyancing firm to represent me?

if there is a missing freeholder or if there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant legislation you can apply to the LVT to judgment on the amount due.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Haggerston premises is 137 & 139 Haberdasher Street in December 2013. The Tribunal determines in accordance with section 48 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease for each Property should be £12,350.00. This case was in relation to 2 flats. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 72.39 years.