I am obtaining a offer of a home loan from Lloyds. My intention is to retain the legal services of a Licensed Conveyancer in Wheathampstead. Does the Lloyds Conveyancing panel allow for Licensed Conveyancers?

The Lloyds conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, represented by the CML or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

IfI were to acquire a freehold propertyin Wheathampstead for cash and have no survey and no local authority searches how much should I expect to have to pay for conveyancing in Wheathampstead?

Any savings you would make would be limited to the costs for searches. A solicitor still be obliged to do everything else - money laundering, correspond with the sellers lawyer, SDLT submission, register the property etc. You might save a bit for them not needing to register a charge but it will not be a lot.

Will my conveyancer be raising enquiries about flooding during the conveyancing in Wheathampstead.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers dealing with homes in Wheathampstead. There are those who acquire a house in Wheathampstead, completely expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or sell the property. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a various checks that may be undertaken by the purchaser or by their conveyancers which should give them a better appreciation of the risks in Wheathampstead. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms sent to a buyer’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a standard question of the seller to discover if the property has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred and is not revealed by the vendor, then a purchaser could bring a compensation claim as a result of such an inaccurate response. A purchaser’s conveyancers will also conduct an environmental search. This will reveal whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations should be carried out.

My wife and I own a 4 bedroom Edwardian house in Wheathampstead. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Barclays Direct. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the matching property. Is it worth asking Barclays Direct to clarify?

You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Wheathampstead and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also enquire as to the position with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the purchase.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Wheathampstead. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part 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 bought a 1st floor flat in Wheathampstead, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar flats in Wheathampstead with an extended lease are worth £185,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2085

With only 60 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £20,000 and £23,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.