I own a freehold house in Chiswick yet charged rent, why is this and what is this?
It is rare for properties in Chiswick and has limited impact for conveyancing in Chiswick 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 establishment of fresh rentcharges post 1977.
Old rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 will be dispensed with completely.
is it true that all Chiswick solicitor practices on the Lloyds conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?
As solicitors, in order to be on the Lloyds approved list of solicitors they would need to be overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Some mortgage companies do list licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the firms would be governed by the CLC.
We previously selected conveyancers locally in Chiswick on the UBS solicitor approved list. They are now charging me an additional amount for handling the UBS mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by UBS?
Provided it is contained in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your solicitor is entitled to charge a fee for this. This charge is not set by UBS but by your Chiswick solicitor. Numerous firms on the UBS panel will levy an ‘acting for lender’ fee but some firms include it on their overall fee.
We have agreed to purchase a house in Chiswick. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Kent Reliance be concerned?
Given that your lender is Kent Reliance your lawyer must comply with the formal instructions set out in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Kent Reliance. The CML Handbook sets out minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to Kent Reliance where a lease does not meet these requirements. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not limited to Chiswick.
I used Arc property Solicitors a few years ago for my conveyancing in Chiswick. I now require my papers but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
Do call 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 Chiswick of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
Is it possible to change solicitor as I need to appoint one who is on the Skipton Building Society conveyancing list. I was using a local conveyancing solicitor in Chiswick round the corner but the firm is not accepted by Skipton Building Society
It would be our pleasure to assist you find a conveyancing solicitor in Chiswick on the Skipton Building Society panel. Please note that the law firms that we work with do not pay us fee if you instruct them and are under regulation of the Solicitors Regulation Authority who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Chiswick. Using the find a conveyancing solicitor tool on this site, you can compare and instruct different solicitors and conveyancers both nationally and in Chiswick.
Last November I purchased a leasehold flat in Chiswick. Am I liable to pay 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).
I am the registered owner of a ground-floor 1960’s flat in Chiswick. Given that I can not reach agreement with the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the sum payable for the purchase of the freehold?
in cases where there is a absentee freeholder or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the LVT to decide the amount due.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Chiswick flat is Flat 1 30 Ennismore Avenue in September 2010. the Tribunal adopted and arrived at a premium for the lease extension of £29, 900 This case affected 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 68.34 years.
Is it true that a Chiswick conveyancing practice has court proceedings brought against them by clients for failing to conduct the appropriate conveyancing investigations?
We are not aware of such a Chiswick conveyancing matter but it has been reported that, clients buying a house in Cumbria successfully won a case against their solicitor due to development permission to erect a wind farm failing to be identified in conveyancing searches.
Where you are buying in Chiswick It is essential that your lawyer purchase all Chiswick conveyancing searches necessary to ensure you have relevant and current information ahead of buying a property.