I am purchasing an apartment in Twickenham. My property lawyer is not on the lender conveyancing panel. Am I still permitted to retain my Twickenham conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the bank panel?

One will need to have a conveyancing practitioner to deal with the legal work required when you take out a loan to purchase your home. They will conduct all the necessary legal checks on the property, make sure that you will be registered as proprietor and ensure that all the necessary mortgage documentation is in order. You could instruct a Twickenham lawyer of your choice. However, if the conveyancer selected is not a member of the lender approved list supplemental costs will arise as separate legal representation will be need by the bank. Bank panel applications may be submitted, so where your solicitor has not in the past applied for membership they should take the chance to apply.

4 months have gone by since my purchase conveyancing in Twickenham concluded. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £160,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the property from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

In sourcing the web for the phrase cheap conveyancing in Twickenham it shows results of numerous property lawyersin the area. How do I determine which is the suitable conveyancing solicitor for purchase transaction?

The preferential method of choosing a suitable conveyancer is through a personal recommendation, so ask colleagues and relatives who have acquired a property in Twickenham or the respected estate agent or financial adviser. Fees for conveyancing in Twickenham vary, so it's advisable to secure at least three costs illustrations from varying types of companies. Dont forget to clarify what costs in the quote includes.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Twickenham. Conveyancing and Accord Mortgages Ltd mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1998. The conveyancing practitioner in Twickenham who acted for me is not around. What should I do?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Twickenham conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Following years of dialogue we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Twickenham. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

in cases where there is a absentee landlord or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to arrive at the amount due.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Twickenham residence is Ground Floor Flat 91 Bath Road in May 2009. in a case where the freeholder could not be traced, the Brentford County Court ordered that the Lease be surrendered in return for the grant of a new lease of the Premises at a premium determined by the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal. The tribunal concluded that the price payable by the Applicant for the new lease of the premises be £15,900 This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 60.45 years.

I have today placed an offer on a leasehold flat in Twickenham and the estate agent that we are using suggested his conveyancer. They quoted £1000 excluding VAT and disbursements. Does this sound like a good deal?

You should not rely on 1 estimate. One should seek like-for-like quotes for your conveyancing in Twickenham. Then pick one that you trust and crucially, is on the approved panel of the lender that you have applied for a mortgage from.