It is a dozen years since I acquired my house in Penrith. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been instructed on the sale but I can't locate the deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

Don’t worry too much. Firstly the deeds may be retained by your mortgage company or they could stored with the conveyancers who oversaw the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Penrith relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

We're in Penrith, First timers buying with a mortgage (lender is , and our solicitor is on the conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one near me in Penrith I like with open areas and railway links nearby, however it's only got 49 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Penrith suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be an issue. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you can 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 and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

In my capacity as executor for the will of my grandmother I am selling a house in Monmouth but I am based in Penrith. My solicitor (based 200 kilometers awayneeds me to sign a stat dec before completion. Can you recommend a conveyancing practitioner in Penrith who can witness this legal document for me?

strictly speaking you are unlikely to need to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally or notary public or solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are Penrith based

I am purchasing a maisonette mortgage free. I have provided solicitor with two separate proof of photographic ID, bank statement, multiple utility bills. Now he requires a copy from a probate lawyer acknowledging that the money is in order and that it has come from inheritance and not via illegitimate means.

For some years now requires conveyancing solicitors as well as banks, building societies and other financial institutes to obtain satisfactory evidence of the identity of the client. This is because solicitors who deal with money and property on behalf of their clients can be used by criminals wishing to launder money. In order to comply with the law of money laundering, your Penrith conveyancing lawyer will need to obtain evidence of your identity as as well as make sure that your funds are legitimate.