I purchased a freehold house in Redditch yet invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in Redditch and has limited impact for conveyancing in Redditch 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 creation of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.
Old rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 will be extinguished.
I am buying a house and the lawyer has identified Chancel Repair to which the property could be obligated to pay as it falls into the area of such a church. He has suggested insurance. Is this strictly necessary for conveyancing in Redditch
Unless a prior purchase of the premises completed after 12 October 2013 you can assume that solicitors delivering conveyancing in Redditch to remain recommending a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
I used Wolstenholmes several years ago for my conveyancing in Redditch. I now require my file but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
Do contact 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 Redditch of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one near me in Redditch I like with a park and transport links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 61 years on the lease. There is not much else in Redditch in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?
If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.
There are only 72 years unexpired on my flat in Redditch. I need to extend my lease but my landlord is absent. What should I do?
On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to find the landlord. In some cases an enquiry agent would be useful to carry out a search and to produce a report which can be accepted by the court as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Redditch.
Redditch Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries before Purchasing
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You should be aware if it is less than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the flat. It is worth checking with your lender that they are willing to to proceed given the lease term. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will most likely require a lease extension sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of how much this would cost. Remember, in most cases you would be required to have been the owner of the premises for a couple of years in order to be entitled to carry out a lease extension. Be sure to find out if there are any onerous prohibitions in the lease. By way of example it is very common in Redditch leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in Redditch. If you love the propertyin Redditch however your dog is not allowed to move with you then you will be presented with a difficult choice. Please inform me if there are any major works in the planning that will likely add a premium to the service charges?
When it comes to my conveyancing in Redditch should I be charged VAT on the following: (1) Land reg fee on purchase (2) Pre - completion search fee (3) SDLT E submission on purchase (4) Bank TT fee
(1) Land reg fee on purchase - No (2) Pre - completion search fees -No, (such conveyancing searches are HMLR ones and means £4 and possibly £2 bankruptcy per name on your mortgage) (3) SDLT E submission on your purchase - There is no VAT on Stamp Duty. However if the firm is charging a stamp duty e-submission fee as part of their services - some Redditch conveyancers do - that will incur VAT(4) Bank transfer fee - Yes it is for the property lawyer's time in submitting the funds this way.