Having been recommended your company we were about to appoint conveyancing solicitor in Chard endorsed by you but have come across some other estimates via the web appear less pricey – why is this?

You can find a variety of conveyancers marketing what appear to be cut price. We suggest that you give due consideration as to how much you respect your own move to want to be penny wise pound foolish concerning the standard of the legal work. Some hide fees well inside the terms of business. The law firms that we list for conveyancing in Chard will notbehave this way.

I purchased a freehold premises in Chard yet pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Chard and has limited impact for conveyancing in Chard 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 establishment of fresh rentcharges post 1977.

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

I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Chard. My lender is The Mortgage Works

The Mortgage Works have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 12/12/2024, the requirements read as follows :

Am I best advised to appoint a Chard conveyancing solicitor who is local to the property I am purchasing? An old friend can carry out the legal work but they are based 200kilometers away.

The primary upside of using a high street Chard conveyancing practice is that you can drop in to sign paperwork, hand in your ID and pester them if necessary. They will also have local knowledge which is a plus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have used your friend and they were happy that should outweigh using an unfamiliar Chard conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being Chard based.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Chard. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

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 purchased a 1 bedroom flat in Chard, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2000. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Equivalent flats in Chard with a long lease are worth £255,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2097

With only 73 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £8,600 and £9,800 plus legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.