My solicitor has identified a a problem with the lease for the property we are purchasing in Stansted. The seller’s lawyers have suggested defective title insurance as a workaround. We are happy with insurance and will cover the costs. Our conveyancer says that he must check that the mortgage company is willing to move forward with this solution. Are we the client or is the mortgage company ?

Regardless of the fact that you have a mortgage offer from the mortgage company does not mean to say that the property will meet their specifications for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. You and the lender are the client. The appropriate lender provisions have to be complied with.

I am buying a new build house in Stansted with a mortgage from Aldermore. The developers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The property agent told me not disclose to my solicitor about this extras as it could put at risk my loan with the bank. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

In what way can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my commercial premises in Stansted and how can your lawyers assist?

The 1954 Act provides protection to commercial lessees, granting the a statutory right to apply to court for a continuation of occupancy at the end of the lease term. There are limited grounds that a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are involved. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Stansted is one of our numerous locations in which our lawyers are located

I need to appoint a conveyancing solicitor for some conveyancing in Stansted. I happened to discover a site which seems to have the perfect answer If there is a chance to get all this stuff done via web that would be preferable. Do I need to be concerned? What should out be looking out for?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

I only have 68 years unexpired on my flat in Stansted. I now wish to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What options are available to me?

If you qualify, 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 enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to track down the freeholder. In some cases an enquiry agent would be useful to try and locate and prepare an expert document to be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Stansted.

I own a 1 bedroom flat in Stansted, conveyancing was carried out in 2006. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar properties in Stansted with a long lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2086

With just 61 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £18,100 and £20,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.