When it comes to lenders such as RBS, do Raglan solicitors incur a yearly amount to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are unaware of any lender fees to register on their panel, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

is it true that all Raglan solicitor firms on the Santander conveyancing panel are governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Santander approved list of solicitors they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Some mortgage companies do list licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the organisation would be overseen by the CLC.

Two weeks ago we had a mortgage agreed in principle with RBS. Raglan conveyancing practitioners are instructed. How long does it take for RBS to forward the offer to the property lawyer?

Some lenders take longer than others. Have RBS conducted the valuation? Have you advised RBS as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the RBS conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

How can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my commercial premises in Raglan and how can your lawyers assist?

The particular law that you refer to provides security of tenure to commercial lessees, giving them the a statutory right to make a request to court for a renewal tenancy and continue in occupation when the lease comes to an end. There are certain specified grounds that a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are complicated. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing solicitors who use the act for protection and assist with commercial conveyancing in Raglan

We are 3 weeks into a leasehold purchase having been directed to conveyancers by the selling agent to handle our conveyancing in Raglan. I am not happy. Can you you assist me in finding new conveyancers?

They would have to be really poor in order to consider diss instructing them. Has the mortgage been generated? In the event that it has you will need to inform them of the replacement solicitor and get the offer are issued to the new lawyers. Your new solicitor ideally should be on the lenders approved list to avoid supplemental costs and delays. That should be your first question of the new conveyancers. The search tool can help you find a bank approved solicitor for your home move in Raglan

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Raglan. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I inherited a garden flat in Raglan, conveyancing was carried out May 2010. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable flats in Raglan with over 90 years remaining are worth £185,000. The ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease ends on 21st October 2087

You have 61 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £19,000 and £22,000 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

I own a leasehold flat in Raglan. Conveyancing was finalised in five years ago. I have been told that I should not allow the lease length get too short. Is this right?

Raglan leasehold properties are for a set term - usually 99 years when they are first granted. However many flats in Raglan were constructed or converted 20 or more years ago and so such leases now have under 80 years remaining. That may seem like plenty of time but Banks, Building Societies and other mortgage institutions tend to require leases to have at least seventy five years remaining to be mortgageable. Accordingly when you come to sell the property you will need a lease extension if you are getting close to seventy five years. To optimize the saleability of your property you should be considering whether or not to extend your lease long before you come to sell it. There are also significant benefits to taking action before the lease reaches even eighty years as when the lease falls below eighty years the premium to be paid to extend starts to increase.