I am the registered owner of a freehold house in East Barnet yet pay rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in East Barnet and has limited impact for conveyancing in East Barnet 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 many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the establishment of fresh rentcharges post 1977.
Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.
I am about to put an offer on a leasehold flat in East Barnet. The estate agents advise that it is standard for flats in East Barnet to have less than 75 years unexpired on the lease. I am expecting a mortgage with Virgin. Will the property be mortgageable given that 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. Virgin have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 2/6/2025 the requirements read as follows :
I am aiming to move home in September. Should my conveyancing solicitor update the removal company on the completion day. Incidentally, can you suggest a removal company in East Barnet. Conveyancing lawyer was found prior to coming across your website.
On the day of completion you will need to pick up the house keys from your estate agent but this should only happen after the vendors conveyancers confirm to the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be passed over. You will need to tell the removal company that they can start moving you in. As a matter of policy we do not suggest a particular removal company but can assist you in choosing a conveyancing in East Barnet or a solicitor with expertise in conveyancing in East Barnet.
The formalities of my purchase has taken place for my property in East Barnet. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Team at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.
After months of negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in East Barnet. My financial adviser suggested a lawyer. I paid an on account payment of £150. Shortly after, the lawyer called me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Leeds Building Society panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
We're FTB’s - agreed a price, yet the property agent has warned us that the vendor will only move forward if we use their preferred lawyers as they are insisting on a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a high street solicitor accustomed to conveyancing in East Barnet
We suspect that the seller is not behind this demand. If they desire ‘a quick sale', turning down a serious buyer is counter productive. Contact the sellers directly and make the point that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances in place © you have nothing to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you will continue to appoint your preferred East Barnet conveyancing firm - not the ones that will give their negotiator at the agency a referral fee or hit his conveyancing figures demanded by corporate headquarters.
We expect to complete our sale of a £475,000 garden flat in East Barnet on Wednesday in a week. The freeholder has quoted £324 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in East Barnet?
East Barnet conveyancing on leasehold flats usually necessitates the purchaser’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions the majority will be content to do so. They are entitled to charge a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it exceeds £800. The management information fee levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of rights and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the charge is not strictly payable. In reality one has no choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.
I own a two-bedroom flat in East Barnet. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the sum due for a lease extension?
in cases where there is a missing landlord or where there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to arrive at the sum to be paid.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a East Barnet property is 23 Beaconsfield Road in July 2013. The Tribunals decided that the amount payable was £31,203 for the freehold. This case affected 2 flats. The unexpired term was 70.31 years.
We are hoping to acquire a repossessed property in East Barnet and the bank selling would like to complete inside a week. Do conveyancers complete in this timeframe? Am I best advised to instruct a local East Barnet firm or an online conveyancer that professes to offer speedy conveyancing?
Visit your East Barnet shopping parade. Go in to a couple of companies and ask to see a conveyancing solicitor for a quote. Explain your requirements and get a commitment on deadlines. Appoint the one that seems most genuine. You need to use a lawyer on the panel of lawyers approved by your lender.