I am one month into the sale of my flat in Hove and the EA has just called to advise that the purchasers are appointing a new solicitor. I am told that this is due to the fact that the mortgage company will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a leading lender only deal with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Hove ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Santander, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 25 years.

Lenders point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

I am the registered owner of a freehold property in Hove but still charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Hove and has limited impact for conveyancing in Hove but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges have existed for hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 is to be extinguished.

I have recentlybecome aware that Action Conveyancing have closed. They carried out my conveyancing in Hove for a purchase of a leasehold apartment 9 months ago. How can I be sure that the property is in my name in the name of the previous owner?

The easiest way to see if the premises is registered to you, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Hove conveyancing specialists.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and identified one close by in Hove I like with a park and transport links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 49 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Hove suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease will likely be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Hove. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I purchased a split level flat in Hove, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2001. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding flats in Hove with a long lease are worth £180,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease runs out on 21st October 2082

With just 58 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £22,800 and £26,400 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered 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 seeking the advice of a professional.