My brother-in-law has suggested I instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Smithfield. I need to find out if they are accepted on the HSBC Bank conveyancing panel. Could you advise?

You should e-mail the solicitor and ask them if they are on the lender panel. Alternatively please get in touch with HSBC Bank who may be able to help.

My relative suggested that where I am buying in Smithfield I should ask my conveyancer to execute a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is usually quoted for as part of the standard Smithfield conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of about 40 pages, listing and detailing important information about Smithfield around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Smithfield Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Smithfield.

My uncle has suggested that I use his conveyancing solicitors in Smithfield. Do I take his guidance?

There are no two ways about it it’s preferable to find a conveyancing practitioner is to seek guidance from friends or relatives who have experience in using the firm you're considering.

I am a negotiator for a long established estate agency in Smithfield where we have witnessed a few flat sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have been given contradictory information from local Smithfield conveyancing solicitors. Can you clarify whether the vendor of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the buyer?

Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

Smithfield Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

Does the lease contain onerous restrictions? The answer will be helpful as a) areas can cause problems for the block as the common areas may begin to deteriorate if maintenance remain unpaid b) if the leasehold owners have an issue with the running of the building you will want to have all the details

A licensed conveyancer acted on my conveyancing in Smithfield three years past and was holding my deeds but has now closed – how do I get hold of these?

Title deeds, as such, are no longer appropriate for most homes in Smithfield are registered digitally at Land Registry. If you need to prove ownership or are disposing of or refinancing your lawyer will need to obtain up to date copies of the register from the Land Registry in any case.

If you feel there may be other documents or you have any other queries please e-mail your request with details of the transaction and documents you need to filerequest@clc-uk.org. The CLC will let you know what information they have and any additional information they may need before they are in a position to identify and send the documents to you. Following an intervention it may take some time for the CLC to access archived files and documents, but your request will be actioned as quickly as possible.