I am the registered owner of a freehold house in Moorgate but still pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Moorgate and has limited impact for conveyancing in Moorgate 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 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 in 2037 will be dispensed with completely.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on two weeks back in what should have been a quick, no chain conveyancing. Moorgate is the location of the property. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Moorgate are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Moorgate you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Moorgate may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.

I'm converting the mortgage on my primary home to a BTL loan with Birmingham Midshires and intend to use the remaining equity towards another property. The area we are talking about is Moorgate. Will your conveyancers be able to act for the two banks and link together the conveyances?

Make use of our search tool on this site to ensure that the lawyers are on the relevant lender panels. On the basis that they are the lawyer will be able to connect the two conveyancing matters but you should have a chat with you conveyancer and communicate your expectations and requirements.

I want to sublet my leasehold flat in Moorgate. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?

Even though your previous Moorgate conveyancing lawyer is no longer available you can review your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the property. The rule is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you are obliged to seek consent via your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet in the absence of prior permission. Such consent must not not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord for their consent.

I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without any joy. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on such matters? Can you recommend a Moorgate conveyancing firm to help?

Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Moorgate conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Moorgate flat is 137 & 139 Haberdasher Street in December 2013. The Tribunal determines in accordance with section 48 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease for each Property should be £12,350.00. This case was in relation to 2 flats. The unexpired lease term was 72.39 years.

A conveyancing company handled my conveyancing in Moorgate three years past and was holding my registration certificates but has now closed – how do I retreive them?

Title deeds, as such, are no longer appropriate for most properties in Moorgate are registered electronically at Land Registry. If you need to establish ownership or are selling or refinancing your conveyancer will need to obtain up to date copies of the register from the Land Registry in any case.

If you feel there may be other documents or you have any other queries please e-mail your request with details of the transaction and documents you need to filerequest@clc-uk.org. The CLC will let you know what information they have and any additional information they may need before they are in a position to identify and send the documents to you. Following an intervention it may take some time for the CLC to access archived files and documents, but your request will be actioned with reasonable haste.