I purchased a freehold property in Basildon but nevertheless invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Basildon and has limited impact for conveyancing in Basildon 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 hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

Previous rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 will be dispensed with completely.

The Basildon conveyancing solicitors that I recently instructed on my house acquisition in Basildon have suddenly closed. I chose them because I had to have a firm on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel and my preferred Basildon lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take one hundred and fifty pounds for searches. What are my options?

If you have an estate agent involved then inform them immediately so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to assist.

A friend pointed out to me me that in buying a property in Basildon there could be a number of restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external changes to the property. Is this right?

There are a number of properties in Basildon which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external changes. Part of the conveyancing in Basildon should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

We are buying a 3 bedroom semi in Basildon. The intention is to convert the garage to a playroom at the property.Will the conveyancing process include investigations to see if these works were previously refused?

Your solicitor should review the deeds as conveyancing in Basildon will occasionally identify restrictions in the title documents which prohibit categories of changes or necessitated the consent of a 3rd party. Many works call for local authority planning permissions and approval in accordance building regulations. Certain areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.

How can we know in advance if a Basildon conveyancing solicitor on the Aldermore panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Basildon getting recommendations is a good start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always recommend that you speak with the solicitor conducting your conveyancing.

We are buying a house and the solicitor has identified Chancel Repair for which the house may be liable given it’s proximity to the area of such a church. She has mentioned insurance. Is this strictly necessary for conveyancing in Basildon

Unless a previous purchase of the property completed after 12 October 2013 you may expect conveyancing practitioners conducting conveyancing in Basildon to remain recommending a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.

I'm purchasing my first flat in Basildon with a loan from Platform Home Loans Ltd. The sellers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The house builders rep told me not reveal to my solicitor about the side-deal as it could adversely affect my mortgage with the lender. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.