It is 10 years ago since I bought my home in Dartford. Conveyancing solicitors have recently been appointed on the sale but I can't locate the deeds. Is this a problem?
Don’t worry too much. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be retained by your mortgage company or they could be in the possession of the conveyancers who oversaw your purchase. Secondly in all probability the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors procuring up to date copy of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Dartford involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is unregistered it is more of a problem but is not insurmountable.
I am about to put an offer on a leasehold property in Dartford. The property agents advise that it is the norm for flats in Dartford to have less than 75 years remaining. I am expecting a loan with Platform. Is this going to be a problem if the lease has Seventy One years unexpired.
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. Platform have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 23/4/2026 the requirements read as follows :
What tools are available to search for a Dartford solicitor on the Alliance & Leicester conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am willing to travel upto 20miles to meet the solicitor.
Feel free to make use of the facility on this website. Please pick a bank and your location and you will see a number of Dartford conveyancing lawyers located nearest you. We have detailed some Dartford conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can call them to check if they are on the Alliance & Leicester panel
As co-executor for the will of my father I am disposing of a house in Cardiff but live in Dartford. My lawyer (approximately 250 kilometers awayhas requested that I sign a stat dec prior to completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Dartford to witness this legal document for me?
strictly speaking you should not be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally or notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are Dartford based
I own a leasehold flat in Dartford. Conveyancing and Aldermore mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing solicitor in Dartford who previously acted has now retired. Do I pay?
The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that this person is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Dartford conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.
I own a garden flat in Dartford. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the sum due for the purchase of the freehold?
if there is a missing landlord or if there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the LVT to arrive at the price payable.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Dartford residence is Various @ Colombus Square in January 2012. the Tribunal calculated the premiums to be paid for new leases for each of the flats in Mariners Walk to be £3822 and the premium to be paid for the new lease of 2 Knights Court to be £4439. This case affected 13 flats. The unexpired term was 76 years.
Is there a reason that Dartford conveyancing charges differ for leasehold and freehold properties?
Leasehold conveyancing in Dartford can involve additional due diligence including reviewing the lease, communicating with the landlord, obtaining up to date rent receipts, landlord’s consents, management company’s accounts etc.