Is it correct that all St Annes Park CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel?

A selection of banks and building societies now make use of the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to remain on their panels.

I have paid off my mortgage with Bank of Ireland. I assume I don't need a St Annes Park solicitor on the Bank of Ireland panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Bank of Ireland mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Bank of Ireland mortgage from the register. Bank of Ireland, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Bank of Ireland has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Bank of Ireland has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in St Annes Park off the council. I have a mortgage offer with RBS. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with RBS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the RBS conveyancing panel.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and identified one round the corner in St Annes Park I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in St Annes Park for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign 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 speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.

My business partner and I are planning to take an assignment of a lease of an office on the high street. Can you recommend lawyers offering fixed charges for non-domestic conveyancing in St Annes Park for under 2k?

We are happy to recommend firms who have an in-depth of experience of commercial conveyancing in St Annes Park, including the sale and acquisition of businesses as well as simply premises. Whether you are intending to acquire or lease a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail premises or a whole business we will put you in touch with the right firm. As for the costs these will vary based on the structure and nuances of the proposed transaction. Please provide us with your contact information or email us so that we may furnish you with a detailed commercial conveyancing calculation.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in St Annes Park with the purpose of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in St Annes Park can be avoided where you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers’ representatives.
You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to double-check by asking your lawyers. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is less than 75 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? St Annes Park leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord approving such alterations. Should you fail to have the consents to hand do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in advance. Many freeholders or Management Companies in St Annes Park levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in St Annes Park. If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should make sure that you are holding the original share document. Arranging a re-issued share certificate can be a lengthy formality and delays many a St Annes Park home move. Where a duplicate share certificate is needed, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if relevant) for this sooner rather than later.

I purchased a basement flat in St Annes Park, conveyancing formalities finalised December 2001. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in St Annes Park with over 90 years remaining are worth £206,000. The ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2091

With only 66 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £12,400 and £14,200 plus 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 a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

We are FTB’s just having agreed a price on a property in St Annes Park, and are now looking to get solicitors lined up. I have used the different comparison tools and the quotes are from all across the England and Wales. Is it necessary to have a St Annes Park solicitor local to your prospective house? I am content to do all the communicating electronically, but I assume at some point we will need to visit the conveyancing practitioner's office to sign documents?

The property lawyer does not have to be in St Annes Park, but opting for local means that you have the option to visit their offices if you need to, for instance, if a signature is immediately necessary. Also, a St Annes Park solicitor is likely to be familiar with local agents and (if the vendor has instructed a local conveyancing practitioner) with them, which should help smooth the process.