My partner and I have recently bought a property in Thornbury. We have since encountered a number of problems with the property which we consider were omitted in the conveyancing searches. Do we have any recourse? What searches should? have been ordered for conveyancing in Thornbury?

It is not clear from the question as what problems have arisen and if they are relate to conveyancing in Thornbury. Conveyancing searches and due diligence initiated during the buying process are carried out to help avoid problems. As part of the legal transfer of property, a property owner answers a questionnaire referred to as a SPIF. answers is misleading, then you may have a claim against the vendor for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Thornbury.

I am buying a house and require a conveyancing solicitor in Thornbury who is on the Nottingham Building Society conveyancing. Can you recommend a local firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Nottingham Building Society in certain locations such as Thornbury. We dont recommend any particular firm.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Thornbury?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Thornbury. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I am looking for a flat up to £305k and identified one round the corner in Thornbury I like with amenity areas and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 52 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Thornbury for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.

I have recently realised that I have Seventy years remaining on my flat in Thornbury. I need to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. On the whole a specialist may be helpful to try and locate and to produce a report to be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Thornbury.

I bought a garden flat in Thornbury, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2001. 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? Corresponding flats in Thornbury with over 90 years remaining are worth £180,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 per annum. The lease terminates on 21st October 2083

You have 58 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £22,800 and £26,400 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.