I am selling our property in Hollywood and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was constructed land that was not decontaminated. Any local conveyancer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers instructed a nationwide conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Hollywood. Having lived in Hollywood for 5 years we know of no issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to seek clarification need.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You need to check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)

I used Action Conveyancing several years past for my conveyancing in Hollywood. I now require my file however cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Hollywood of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and found one round the corner in Hollywood I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Hollywood suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

If you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you could ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Hollywood. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they are sending me a report tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Hollywood should include some of the following:

Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice? Ground rent - what is due and when you need to pay, and be on notice if this is subject to change Where does the liability rest for maintaining the window frames The total extent of the demise. This will be the flat itself but might incorporate a attic or cellar if applicable. Information as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a tenant has

I purchased a 1 bedroom flat in Hollywood, conveyancing formalities finalised 1995. 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? Similar properties in Hollywood with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease ends on 21st October 50

With 50 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

My brother-in-law has suggested I instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Hollywood. I I would like to check if they are listed on the bank's approved list of lawyers. Can you assist?

It’s a good idea phone the solicitor and ask them if they are on the lender's approved list. Alternatively please call us and we can investigate and revert. Should the firm not be on the lender panel we can certainly arrange a reputable conveyancing solicitor in Hollywood on the approved list for your lender.