The Red Lodge conveyancing solicitors that I appointed last week on my purchase in Red Lodge have without warning closed. I chose them because I had to have a solicitor on the Santander conveyancing panel and my preferred Red Lodge lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take £195 for searches. What do I do now?

Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them immediately so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Santander conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to help.

I am assisting my niece sell her property in Red Lodge. Does the conveyancer arrange an energy performance certificate or it is for the owner to coordinate?

After the abolition of Home Packs, EPC’s was left as a mandatory element of selling a property. An energy performance certificate should be to hand before the property is marketed. It is not something that solicitors ordinarily arrange. Where you are using a Red Lodge conveyancing solicitor they might be able to arrange energy performance certificates due to their relationships with long established Red Lodge assessors

We were going to get a DIP from Nottingham this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Nottingham recommend any Red Lodge solicitors on the Nottingham conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Red Lodge solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Nottingham conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Nottingham through the process.

It is not clear whether my lender requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Red Lodge bank branch on numerous occasions and was informed it wasn't a problem and they would lend. My Red Lodge conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they will not lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I have no idea who is right.

The conveyancer has to comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 requirements for your lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal impending roadworks that may impact a commercial estate in Red Lodge?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Red Lodge will perform a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers expend in investigating accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Red Lodge. The search result sets out 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 Red Lodge.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Red Lodge it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately could result in delays to Red Lodge commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not carried out for residential conveyancing in Red Lodge.

Me and my brother own a renovated Georgian house in Red Lodge. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Yorkshire Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold with the matching address. Is it worth asking Yorkshire Building Society to clarify?

You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be 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 Red Lodge and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the work.

I only have 72 years remaining on my lease in Red Lodge. I now want to get lease extension but my freeholder is can not be found. What should I do?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be extended by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to locate the landlord. For most situations an enquiry agent would be helpful to try and locate and prepare a report to be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Red Lodge.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Red Lodge - Sample of Queries before buying

Most Red Lodge leasehold apartments will have a service charge for the upkeep of the block set on behalf of the freeholder. Should you buy the flat you will have to meet this liability, usually quarterly during the year. This may vary from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common areas. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, this is usually not a exorbitant amount, say about £50-£100 but you should to check it because on occasion it could be many hundreds of pounds. Are there any major works in the planning that will add a premium to the maintenance fees? How many years remain on the lease?