Some advice if I may. My Thornton solicitor is informing me me that he is legally obliged toapply for Thornton conveyancing searches becausethe firm are on the Santandersolicitor panel. Do I not have any options here?

You have limited options available to you. As you are taking a home loan with a mortgage company your conveyancer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your conveyancer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the CML Handbook provisions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Thornton conveyancing searches.

I am helping my sister sell her house in Thornton. Does the solicitor arrange an energy assessment or it is for the seller to coordinate?

After the demise of Home Packs, energy performance certificates remained a mandatory element of selling a property. An EPC must be to hand prior to the property being marketed. It is not a task that law firms normally arrange. If you are instructing a Thornton conveyancing lawyer they might be able to arrange energy assessments given their contacts with reputable Thornton assessors

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Clydesdale. I assume I don't need a Thornton property lawyer on the Clydesdale panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Clydesdale 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 Clydesdale mortgage from the register. Clydesdale, 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 Clydesdale has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Clydesdale has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I currently have a mortgage with HSBC for my property in Thornton. Conveyancing was finalised 12 months ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform HSBC?

Your original mortgage agreement with HSBC will provide that you need their approval prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of HSBC’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact HSBC directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a HSBC conveyancing panel solicitor.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a property I have offered on a fortnight ago in what was supposed to be a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Thornton is where the house is located. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Thornton are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Thornton you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Thornton may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Thornton. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I am the registered owner of a split level flat in Thornton, conveyancing was carried out 4 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Thornton with an extended lease are worth £171,000. The ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2103

You have 79 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £8,600 and £9,800 plus costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

How does one remove a departed person's name from the title register for a house in Thornton?

Where a Thornton property is jointly owned and one of the proprietors passes away, their name will not immediately be removed from the title deeds. You are not required to amend the title as in the event of a disposal your conveyancer would just be asked to evidence as to the reason the joint proprietor is missing from the contract, such as the probate documents.

With the aim of making things more straight forward for the sale of the property you may apply to have the deceased person erased from the title by submitting an application to HM Land Registry with proof of the death. There is no charge from the Registry for this service.