We were just about to sign contracts for a garden flat in Llanmartin. We have hit a snag. The mortgage offer with Barnsley Building Society expires on 12/4/2019 but the owners are insisting on a completion date of 16/4/2019. Can one prolong the mortgage offer?

The person best placed to deal with your question is your conveyancer who should assess whether they should be discussing with the mortgage broker, owner’s representatives, estate agents or possibly all parties based on what has gone on in your house move to date.

My partner and I are intent on selling our house in Llanmartin and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being built land that was not decontaminated. A local conveyancer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers are using an internet conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Llanmartin. Having lived in Llanmartin for six years we know that this is a non issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to get confirmation that there is no issue.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)

I used Wolstenholmes a few years past for my conveyancing in Llanmartin. Now, I need the files however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

You should call 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 Llanmartin of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

About to purchase a new build flat in Llanmartin. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Llanmartin

Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme.

I am attracted to a couple of apartments in Llanmartin both have in the region of fifty years left on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Llanmartin is a deteriorating asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the value of the premises. The majority of buyers and lenders, leases with under 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Llanmartin conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

Llanmartin Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

It would be wise to find out as much as you can concerning the managing agents as they can either make living at the property much easier or a lot more difficult. As the owner of a leasehold property you are often in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to practical issues like the upkeep of the communal areas. Enquire of other tenants if they are happy with their management. Finally, find out the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the appropriate party and specifically what it includes. It would be a good idea to discover if the the lease contains any unreasonable restrictions in the lease. For instance plenty of leases prohibit pets being permitted in certain buildings in Llanmartin. If you like the propertyin Llanmartin however your cat is not allowed to live with you then you will be presented with a hard decision. Is the freehold reversion owned jointly by the leaseholders?