My family lawyer has given a fee calculation of £995 for fixed fee conveyancing in Hatfield. I’m looking to sell a Edwardian property for £125,000. Are these conveyancing fees excessive? Is it above what I should be paying for conveyancing in Hatfield?

The quote is fractionally on the steep side. If you are prepared to invest time scrutinising prices you could trim some of the expense by as much as £125. That being said, you maylive to regret opting for an a cheaper solicitor. If is important to be sure that the solicitor can also act for your lender. Do employ our search tool to choose a Hatfield conveyancing practice on the lender’s approved list of lawyers which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Hatfield.

Our son is buying a newly built flat in Hatfield with a mortgage from Nationwide. His solicitor has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?

The document is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Nationwide conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when requested. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Nationwide conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

Can you explain why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Hatfield is more expensive?

Hatfield leasehold properties involve far more paperwork than a freehold purchase, and therefore takes more time to examine and advise upon.Conveyancing will involve the lease having to be checked which is usually a lengthy document, queries raised to ensure that the covenants and conditions have been observed. If it is a flat there will be a management company in existence and the accounts of this will need to be checked and enquiries raised to ensure it is operating efficiently and that all monies due have been paid by the Seller to the company and if not ensuring that money is paid up to date or the appropriate undertakings obtained.

A relative advised me that where I am buying in Hatfield I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is usually quoted for as part of the standard Hatfield conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing significant information about Hatfield around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Hatfield Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Hatfield.

I have recently realised that I have 68 years remaining on my lease in Hatfield. I am keen to get lease extension but my landlord is missing. What options are available to me?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to locate the landlord. For most situations an enquiry agent may be useful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document to be used as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Hatfield.

I acquired a split level flat in Hatfield, conveyancing having been completed 5 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable flats in Hatfield with a long lease are worth £206,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease ceases on 21st October 2091

You have 66 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £12,400 and £14,200 plus 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 advice on the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.