I am the registered owner of a freehold residence in Northop but nevertheless invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Northop and has limited impact for conveyancing in Northop but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

Previous rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 will be extinguished.

we are a couple who are purchasing a newly converted apartment in Northop with a homeloan from Alliance & Leicester .We have a Northop conveyancing practitioner but Alliance & Leicester advised that she’s not listed on their "panel". we are left little option but to use a Alliance & Leicester panel lawyer or keep our preferred solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. We feel as though this is unjust; is there anything we can do?

Unfortunately,no. The loan offered to you contains terms and conditions, one of which will be that solicitors must be on the Alliance & Leicester solicitor panel. in the past, most banks had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Alliance & Leicester

I have justbeen informed that Stirling Law have closed. They carried out my conveyancing in Northop for a purchase of a freehold house 12 months ago. How can I be sure that the property is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?

The quickest way to see if the premises is in your name, 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 Northop conveyancing specialists.

How does conveyancing in Northop differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Northop approach us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is constructed. This is because developers in Northop tend to purchase the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Northop or who has acted in the same development.

Looking forward to exchange soon on a garden flat in Northop. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Northop should include some of the following:

Who has the liability for maintaining the window frames Your conveyancers should enable you to have an understanding of the building insurance obligations specifics of the parties to the lease, e.g. these could be the (you), superior lessor, landlord Does the lease require carpeting throughout thus preventing wood flooring?

I bought a 1 bedroom flat in Northop, conveyancing having been completed in 1999. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar flats in Northop with an extended lease are worth £185,000. The ground rent is £65 per annum. The lease finishes on 21st October 2087

With 61 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £18,100 and £20,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use this information 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 take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.