I am buying a maisonette in Highcliffe. My lawyer has never been on on the lender approved list. Is it possible for me to use my Highcliffe conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the lender panel?

You have a number of options open to you here

• Proceed with your preferred Highcliffe property lawyer but your bank will no doubt use a conveyancer on their approved panel. This will result in additional fees together with potential frustration.
• Choose a new conveyancer to act in the purchase, making sure they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
• Convince your conveyancing practitioner to do everything within their powers to join the bank’s conveyancing panel

I require fast conveyancing in Highcliffe as I have an ultimatum to sign on the dotted line in less than 2 weeks. A mortgage is not required. Can I decline from having conveyancing searches to save money and time?

If.Given you are not obtaining a mortgage you are at free not to do searches although no law firm would suggest that you don't. With lots of history conveyancing in Highcliffe the following are examples of what can crop up and adversely affect future mortgageability: Enforcement Actions, Outstanding Charges, Outstanding Grants, Road Schemes,...

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on two weeks back in what was supposed to be a quick, no chain conveyancing. Highcliffe is where the house is located. Is there any advice you can give?

Flying freeholds in Highcliffe are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Highcliffe you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Highcliffe may decide 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 property.

I have recently realised that I have Seventy years left on my lease in Highcliffe. I now wish to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What options are available to me?

On the basis that 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 mean that your lease can be extended by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you have done all that could be expected to find the landlord. For most situations an enquiry agent may be helpful to conduct investigations and to produce a report to be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer both on proving the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Highcliffe.

Highcliffe Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before buying

Can you inform me if there are any major works in the planning that will likely add a premium to the maintenance fees? How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? If a Highcliffe lease has less than eighty years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the property. It is worth checking with your lender that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. A short lease means that you will most likely require a lease extension sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of how much this will be. For most Highcliffelease extensions you would need to own the premises for 24 months in order to be legally able to exercise a lease extension.

Should one remove a deceased person's details from the title register for a house in Highcliffe?

Where a Highcliffe property is jointly owned and one of the owners dies, the name will not automatically be removed from the Land Registry title. It is not necessary to amend the title as when it comes to a disposal you would simply be asked to evidence why the joint owner is missing from the transfer, usually this takes the form of a grant of probate.

With the aim of making things smoother in the future you may apply to have the deceased party erased from the title entries by submitting an application to HM Land Registry with proof of the death. There is no charge from the Registry for this service.