My wife and I are buying property in Rufford. My Solicitor has never been on on the bank conveyancing list. Can I still continue with my Rufford conveyancing solicitor even though they are not on the mortgage company panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?

Various options include

• Carry on with your preferred Rufford conveyancer but your mortgage company will no doubt retain a conveyancer from their approved panel. The net result is additional fees together with probable frustration.
• Appoint a new conveyancer to act in the purchase, making sure they are on the bank conveyancing panel.
• Convince your property lawyer to pull out all the stops to get listed on the mortgage company conveyancing panel

My wife and I are buying a newly built apartment in Rufford and my lawyer is telling me that she is duty bound to the lender to disclose incentives from the developer. The Estate Agents are hassling me to exchange contracts and I don't want to prolong matters. is my lawyer playing by the book?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your property lawyer. A precondition to being on a mortgage company panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and found one near me in Rufford I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 61 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Rufford suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

If you require a home loan that many years will likely be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.

Is it best to go with a Rufford conveyancing lawyer in close proximity to the house I am buying? An old friend can deal with the legal formalities but they are based 200miles away.

The benefit of a local Rufford conveyancing practice is that you can pop in to execute paperwork, deliver your identification documents and pester them if necessary. They will also have local knowledge which is a plus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If if people you trust instructed your friend and in the main were impressed that should trump using an unfamiliar Rufford conveyancing solicitor just because they are Rufford based.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Rufford. Conveyancing and Platform Home Loans Ltd mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing practitioner in Rufford who acted for me is not around. Any advice?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Rufford conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Rufford Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

How much is the yearly service fee and ground rent? Be sure to enquire if the the lease contains any adverse restrictions in the lease. For instance it is very common in Rufford leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in Rufford. If you like the propertyin Rufford but your cat can’t live with you then you will be presented with a difficult decision. The prefered form of lease structure is if the freehold interest is owned by the leaseholders. In this arrangement the lessees have control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is usually employed if the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders.