I purchased a freehold property in Haslingden but nevertheless pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Haslingden and has limited impact for conveyancing in Haslingden 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 lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 will be extinguished.

I am buying a right to buy a flat in Haslingden. How practical is it for me to do the conveyancing?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Haslingden you will have to appoint a solicitor on your mortgage company's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Haslingden.

My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Haslingden. Conveyancing is needed. What are my next steps?

Now that you have legally bound yourself to purchase you must appoint a conveyancing practitioner soon as you are facing a pending deadline in which to complete the property. Every auction property will ordinarily have a corresponding auction set of papers. This will likely include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. In the case of leasehold property the auction pack should contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing paperwork pertinent to a leasehold property. You should pass this on to your appointed conveyancing solicitor ASAP. Do make sure that you have funds in order to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

Please help - my lawyer says that missing deeds insurance is needed on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Haslingden?

The right level of missing deeds indemnity insurance should be dictated by who who your lender is. It would differ for example between HSBC Bank and Barnsley Building Society. Conveyancing lawyers as opposed to members of the public take out such insurances.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Haslingden. I have a mortgage offer with Virgin Money. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Virgin Money, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.

I have recentlydiscovered that Stirling Law have closed. They carried out my conveyancing in Haslingden for a purchase of a leasehold flat 18 months ago. How can I establish that the property is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?

The quickest way to check if the property is in your name, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Haslingden conveyancing specialists.

I'm buying my first flat in Haslingden with a mortgage from Britannia. The builders would not budge the price so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep told me not reveal to my lawyer about this deal as it may impact my mortgage with the bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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.