My IFA says he needs my Otley lawyer’ panel reference for the Nat West conveyancing panel. How do I find this out. I have called my local Otley branch but they have not responded to me.

The sensible thing to do is ask for this information from your Otley property lawyer . Most Otley law practices will keep a file or database of lender panel information which would include, if applicable, their conveyancing panel details for each mortgage company.

Will our conveyancer be making enquiries about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Otley.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers dealing with homes in Otley. There are those who buy a property in Otley, fully aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Conveyancers are not qualified to give advice on flood risk, but there are a various checks that may be carried out by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which will give them a better understanding of the risks in Otley. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms sent to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a usual question of the owner to discover if the premises has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred and is not revealed by the vendor, then a buyer may issue a claim for damages as a result of such an inaccurate reply. A buyer’s solicitors will also order an environmental report. This should indicate if there is any known flood risk. If so, additional inquiries will need to be initiated.

My wife and I own a semi-detached Victorian property in Otley. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Barnsley Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are 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 should 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 owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Otley and other areas of 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 lenders. You can also check the situation with the conveyancing lawyer who completed the work.

Just had an offer accepted on a new build flat in Otley. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Here are examples of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Otley

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. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? 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. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose?

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and found one near me in Otley I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it's only got 51 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Otley suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

Should you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you may request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.