I have just been advised by my mortgage broker that my Locksbottom the law firm I have appointed is not on the lender Solicitor panel. What can I do to check?

The sensible course of action for you to take is to call your Locksbottom lawyer directly. You lawyer should advise you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they may be able to suggest a Locksbottom conveyancing practice that is on the conveyancing panel for your mortgage company.

It is a dozen years since I purchased my home in Locksbottom. Conveyancing lawyers have just been appointed on the sale but I can't locate the deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

Don’t worry too much. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be kept by your mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the conveyancers who acted in the purchase. Secondly in most cases the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Locksbottom relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your home is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

Will my solicitor be raising questions concerning flooding during the conveyancing in Locksbottom.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers dealing with homes in Locksbottom. Some people will buy a property in Locksbottom, fully expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or sell the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Solicitors are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a numerous checks that may be initiated by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which will figure out the risks in Locksbottom. The conventional set of property information forms sent to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a standard question of the vendor to determine whether the premises has ever been flooded. If flooding has previously occurred and is not disclosed by the seller, then a buyer may issue a compensation claim resulting from an incorrect response. The purchaser’s solicitors should also conduct an environmental report. This will higlight whether there is any known flood risk. If so, further investigations should be conducted.

I own a renovated Victorian property in Locksbottom. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and TSB. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Locksbottom and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also check the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who carried out the work.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. Locksbottom is the location of the property. Is there any advice you can impart?

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