Our lawyer has identified a defect with the lease for the flat we are buying in Hove. The seller’s lawyers have offered defective title insurance as a workaround. We are happy with insurance and will pay for it. Our conveyancing practitioner has advised that he must ensure that the lender is happy with this solution. Are we the client or is the lender?

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and the bank are the client. Your conveyancing practitioner must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the bank can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your solicitor will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years ago for my conveyancing in Hove. I now require my file but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Hove of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what was supposed to be a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Hove is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Hove are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Hove you must be sure that your lawyer goes 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 Hove 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 using a search engine for the words conveyancing in Hove it brings up numerous property lawyerslocally. How do I determine which is the right solicitor for the sale of my house?

The ideal method of seeking a suitable conveyancer is through a trusted testimonial, so ask colleagues and those you trust who have purchased a property in Hove or a reputable estate agent or financial adviser. Fees for conveyancing in Hove vary, so it's a good idea to request a minimum of three costs illustrations from varying types of law firms. Dont forget to clarify that the fees are fixed.

Back In 2000, I bought a leasehold flat in Hove. Conveyancing and TSB mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1998. The conveyancing practitioner in Hove who previously acted has long since retired. Any advice?

First contact HMLR to make sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to incur the fees of a Hove conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. 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 am the registered owner of a 1 bedroom flat in Hove, conveyancing formalities finalised 6 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? Similar flats in Hove with a long lease are worth £201,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease runs out on 21st October 2089

With only 65 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £13,300 and £15,400 plus legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.