My fiance and I are refinancing our penthouse in Blackwood with Coventry BS. We have a son approaching twenty who lives at home. Our solicitor requested us to identify anyone over the age of 17 other than ourselves who lives in the flat. Our lawyer has now e-mailed a document for our son to sign, giving up any rights in the event that the apartment is repossessed. I have a couple of concerns (1) Is this document specific to the Coventry BS conveyancing panel as he never had to sign this form when we purchased 5 years ago (2) Does our son by signing this extinguish his rights to inherit the property?
On the face of it your lawyer has done nothing wrong as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Coventry BS. This is solely used to protect Coventry BS if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave. It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Coventry BS had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.
I have Fifty Six years unexpired on my lease and require a lease extension for my apartment in Blackwood. Conveyancing solicitors on the Virgin panel can deal with such extensions right?
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Virgin have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 26/12/2025 the requirements read as follows :
I have recentlybeen informed that Arc property Solicitors have closed. They carried out my conveyancing in Blackwood for a purchase of a leasehold flat 18 months ago. How can I establish that the property is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?
The quickest way to check if the property is registered to you, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Blackwood conveyancing specialists.
As co-executor for the will of my father I am disposing of a house in Neath but reside in Blackwood. My conveyancer (who is 260 kilometers from mehas requested that I sign a stat dec prior to the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing lawyer in Blackwood who can witness this legal document for me?
strictly speaking you are unlikely to need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are based in Blackwood
Last July I purchased a leasehold house in Blackwood. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?
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. 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).
Blackwood Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing
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Does the lease contain onerous restrictions? Generally speaking the cost for major works are not included within maintenance charges, although some managing agents in Blackwood ask leaseholders to contribute towards a sinking fund created for the specific purpose of establishing a fund for larger repairs or maintenance. Does the lease have more than 80 years left?
I have read on numerous consumer advice websites that before selecting a conveyancing solicitors they need approved by your bank. I am new to the process but I have an offer in principle with Halifax and I already have a bricks and morter conveyancing lawyer in Blackwood at the ready. Can Halifax insist on an approved solicitor to be instructed? If so, where can I find that list so I can choose a conveyancing lawyer in Blackwood?
You should use a solicitor that is on the Halifax panel. Just telephone your chosen Blackwood conveyancing lawyer to check if they are on the Halifax panel. If they are not on the panel you have a couple of alternatives open to you here:
- Proceed with your preferred Blackwood property lawyer but Halifax will no doubt instruct a conveyancer on their approved list. The net impact is additional charges and potential frustration.
- Get a new property lawyer to act in the purchase, making sure they are on the Halifax conveyancing panel.
- Convince your lawyer to pull out all the stops to get listed on the Halifax conveyancing panel.