My property lawyer in Newport Pagnell has never been on on the National Westminster Bank Conveyancing Panel. Is it possible for me to continue with my family solicitor even though they are excluded from the National Westminster Bank approved list?

The limited options available to you here include:

1. Carry on with your existing Newport Pagnell solicitors but National Westminster Bank will need to retain a conveyancer on their list of acceptable firms. This will result in additional total conveyancing charges as well as result in delays.
2. Get a new solicitor to to deal with the conveyancing, obviously checking they are National Westminster Bank approved.
3. Persuade your National Westminster Bank solicitor to seek to join the National Westminster Bank panel

My colleague advised me that if I am purchasing in Newport Pagnell I should ask my conveyancer to execute a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is usually included in the estimate for your Newport Pagnell conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out significant information about Newport Pagnell around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Newport Pagnell Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Newport Pagnell Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Newport Pagnell.

My wife and I own a terraced Edwardian property in Newport Pagnell. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Skipton Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the matching address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

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 Newport Pagnell and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also check the situation with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the purchase.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Newport Pagnell. 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 is a sample of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Newport Pagnell

The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Please confirm the Lease plans are architect prepared.

I opted to have a survey completed on a house in Newport Pagnell ahead of appointing solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. My surveyor advised that some lenders may refuse to grant a loan on such a premises.

It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different instructions for example to Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can investigate further via the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Newport Pagnell. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Newport Pagnell to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.