I am obtaining a mortgage offer from Halifax. My intention is to instruct a Licensed Conveyancer in Stepney. Does the Halifax Solicitor panel exclude conveyancers regulated by the CLC?

The Halifax conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, represented by the Council or Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

Are you able to vouch for a Norwich and Peterborough Building Society sanctioned Stepney conveyancing practice that can complete within less than a month? Am I best advised to choose a local Stepney conveyancer or an internet conveyancer?

We can recommend some very good Stepney conveyancing firms. Another option is to visit the main road in Stepney. Approach a couple of firms and request to speak with a conveyancing solicitor for a costs illustration. Mention your time frames together with the reasons and get a commitment on your deadline. Select the lawyer that you trust.

Can you point me to a directory of HSBC panel solicitors in Stepney on the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Website?

Unfortunately not yet. There is no such directory service on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association sites. Very few lenders make their panel listings available online. If you are looking for a Stepney lawyer on the HSBC please make the most of our tool.

My wife and I have organised a further advance on our mortgage from Nationwide as we want to carry out improvements to our home in Stepney. Are we obliged to appoint a local Stepney solicitor on the Nationwide conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?

Nationwide would not normally require firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Nationwide list.

I am buying a property in Stepney. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Coventry BS be concerned?

As you are obtaining a mortgage with Coventry BS your lawyer must follow the conveyancing requirements outlined in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Coventry BS. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to Coventry BS where a lease does not satisfy these provisions. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Stepney.

I am employed by a long established estate agency in Stepney where we have witnessed a few flat sales put at risk due to short leases. I have been given conflicting advice from local Stepney conveyancing solicitors. Could you shed some light as to whether the owner of a flat can start the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer can avoid having to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord 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.

We have reached the end of our tether in trying to reach an agreement for a lease extension in Stepney. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

Where there is a absentee freeholder or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the LVT to arrive at the amount due.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Stepney premises is 12, 14 & 16 Hull Close in May 2010. the Tribunal determined that the premium payable for the acquisition of the freehold to the subject premises was the sum of £18,300 This case related to 3 flats. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 101.61 years.

What is the difference between surveying and conveyancing in Stepney?

Conveyancing - in Stepney or elsewhere - is the legal term given to transferring legal title of property from one person to another. It involves the investigation of the title. Whether buying or selling, you should be aware of anything affecting the property such as proposals by government departments, illegal buildings, or outstanding rates. The conveyancer should conduct the appropriate searches and inquiries on the property. Surveying relates to the structure of a property itself. A surveyor will look at a house, flat and any outbuildings you are intending to buy and will help you find out about the condition of the building and, if there are problems, give you a powerful reason for negotiating the purchase price down or asking the seller to remedy the defects before you move in.