I purchased a freehold property in Hertfordshire but nevertheless charged rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in Hertfordshire and has limited impact for conveyancing in Hertfordshire 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 have existed for many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.
Previous rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.
My lawyer in Hertfordshire is not listed on the Barclays Direct Solicitor Panel. Is it possible for me to continue with my prefered solicitor even though they are not on the Barclays Direct panel?
Your options are as follows:
- Carry on with your preferred Hertfordshire lawyers but Barclays Direct will need to instruct a conveyancer on their panel. This will result in additional overall legal fees as well as cause frustration.
- Find an alternative solicitor to to deal with the purchase, obviously checking they are on the Barclays Direct panel
I am aiming to move home in March. Does my conveyancing solicitor liaise with the removal company on the day of completion. As an aside, can you suggest a removal company in Hertfordshire. Conveyancing lawyer was organised before I stumbled across your website.
On the day of completion you will need to pick up the keys from the estate agent but this should only be done when the previous owners lawyers advise the agent that the monies to complete are in and the keys can be collected. After that you will need to tell the removal men that you are ready to move in. As a matter of policy we do not recommend a particular removal company but can assist you in finding a conveyancing in Hertfordshire or a firm that specialises in conveyancing in Hertfordshire.
Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Hertfordshire. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
Almost all lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care 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 with full details of your complaint.
I have finally had an offer on a flat in Hertfordshire accepted, the sellers do nevertheless have a dependent purchase. The vendors have placed an offer on somewhere, however it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. I have chosen a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Hertfordshire. What do I do now? At what point do I apply for the mortgage with Principality?
It is normal to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs prematurely (mortgage application is in the region of £1k, then survey, Hertfordshire conveyancing search fees, etc). First, you must ensure that your lawyer is on the Principality approved list. Regarding the next stages this very much depends on the uniqueness of your case, motivation for the property and on the state of the market. During a buoyant market many home buyers would apply for the mortgage with Principality and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their conveyancer to move forward with the conveyancing in Hertfordshire.
I appreciate that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Am I compelled to have this when purchasing a residence in Hertfordshire? or I am told that there is historic law that means some homeowners residing in a parish church boundary may be liable to contribute towards maintenance towards the chancel within the church. Is this suitable for conveyancing in Hertfordshire?
Unless a previous purchase of the property completed after 12 October 2013 you can expect conveyancing practitioners delivering conveyancing in Hertfordshire to continue to propose a a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.
My wife and I own a semi-detached Georgian house in Hertfordshire. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Nottingham Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??
You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Hertfordshire and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also check the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the purchase.
My wife and I intend to acquire our 1st property in Hertfordshire. Conveyancing solicitor already selected. The broker pointed out that a survey is not appropriate as the property is only 20 yrs old.
You would be best advised to undertake a Home Buyer's Report. Given the property is more than 10 years old the property will be without a warranty, so you would be well advised not to take a risk. For a property that age with no signs of defects a Home Buyer's report may be sufficient. The report should highlight any obvious problems and recommend additional investigation if appropriate. If there are any signs of material issues obtain a full Building Survey from the beginning.