My aunt informed me that in purchasing a property in Mayfield there could be a number of restrictions limiting what one can do in terms of external changes to the property. Is this right?

There are a number of properties in Mayfield which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external changes. Part of the conveyancing in Mayfield should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

We had instructed conveyancing lawyers located in Mayfield on the Leeds Building Society solicitor panel. They are now charging me a supplemental fee for handling the Leeds Building Society mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by Leeds Building Society?

Provided it is contained in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your conveyancer may charge a fee for this. The fee is not dictated by Leeds Building Society but by your Mayfield conveyancer. Plenty of firms on the Leeds Building Society panel will levy an ‘acting for lender’ fee but some practices incorporate it on their overall fee.

My wife and I have organised a further advance on our home loan from RBS as we want to carry out improvements to our property in Mayfield. Are we obliged to appoint a nearby Mayfield solicitor on the RBS conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?

RBS would not normally require a member of their conveyancing panel to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the RBS conveyancing panel.

Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that could impact a commercial property in Mayfield?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Mayfield will perform a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers invest in researching accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Mayfield. The search result provides definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Mayfield.

For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Mayfield it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can cause delays to Mayfield commercial conveyancing deals as well as pose a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not carried out for domestic conveyancing in Mayfield.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Mayfield. Conveyancing is necessary evil 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 are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Mayfield

The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Please confirm the Lease plans are architect prepared. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier?

Back In 2002, I bought a leasehold house in Mayfield. Conveyancing and Virgin Money mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1992. The conveyancing solicitor in Mayfield who acted for me is not around. Any advice?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Mayfield conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Mayfield - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? Is the freehold owned collectively by the leaseholders? You will want to find out as much as you can about the company managing the block as they can either make your life much simpler or uncomfortable. Being a leasehold owner you will be at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to day to day issues like the cleanliness of the communal areas. Enquire of other people whether they are happy with their service. Finally, find out the dates that the service charges are due to the managing agents and precisely what it includes.

I am planning to acquire a house and require a conveyancing solicitor in Mayfield who is on the mortgage company solicitor panel. Can you recommend a Mayfield or local Mayfield solicitor?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for the mortgage company who conduct conveyancing in Mayfield. We dont recommend any particular firm.