My solicitor has identified a a problem with the lease for the flat we are buying in Louth. The seller’s lawyers have suggested defective title insurance as a solution. We are content with insurance and will pay for it. Our solicitor says that he must ensure that the mortgage company is content with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the bank?

Regardless of the fact that you have a mortgage offer from the bank does not mean to say that the property will meet their conditions for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. You and the lender are the client. The appropriate lender specifications must be adhered to.

This question may be naive but I am new to the process as FTB of a ground floor flat in Louth. Do I collect the keys to the house on the completion date from my solicitor? If this is the case, I will find a local conveyancing solicitor in Louth?

On the day of completion you will not be required to go to the conveyancers office in Louth. Conveyancing lawyers for you will electronically transfer the purchase money to the vendor’s lawyers, and once they have received this, you will be able to collect the keys from the selling Agents and start moving into the property. This tends to happen between 1 and 3pm.

I have a mortgage with Kent Reliance for my property in Louth. Conveyancing was finalised a year ago. If I am intending to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Kent Reliance?

Kent Reliance must be informed of your intention in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Kent Reliance’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Kent Reliance will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Kent Reliance directly. You need not do this via a Kent Reliance conveyancing panel solicitor.

Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Louth. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?

All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.

My colleague recommended that where I am buying in Louth I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Louth conveyancing searches. It is a large report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing significant information about Louth around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Louth Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data concerning Louth.

How can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my business premises in Louth and how can you help?

The particular law that you refer to affords security of tenure to commercial lessees, giving them the a statutory right to apply to court for a new lease and continue in occupation at the end of the lease term. There are limited grounds that a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are complex. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing solicitors who use the act to your advantage and handle your commercial conveyancing in Louth

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Louth. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and most are in Louth - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Louth Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

It would be sensible to find out as much as possible concerning the company managing the building as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to every day issues such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Ask other people what they think of their management. Finally, investigate as to the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the appropriate party and precisely how they are spending the funds. Make sure you enquire if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For example it is fairly common in Louth leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in Louth. If you like the apartmentin Louth however your cat can’t move with you then you will be faced difficult determination. How many years are left on the lease?