I am hoping to receive a mortgage with Nat West. I would like to retain the legal services of a Licensed Conveyancer in Old St Mellons. Does the Nat West Solicitor panel include Licensed Conveyancers?

The Nat West approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders, represented by the Council or Mortgage Lenders or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.

AssumingI were to buy a simple residential propertyin Old St Mellons for cash and dispense with a survey and no local authority searches how much should I expect to have to pay for conveyancing in Old St Mellons?

The only reduction in fees you would achieve is the Old St Mellons conveyancing searches. A conveyancer still be obliged to do everything else - money laundering, liaising with your vendors conveyancing practitioner, stamp duty return, register the ownership etc. A slight saving might be made by not having to register a charge but it won't be a lot.

I am the registered owner of a freehold house in Old St Mellons but nevertheless invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?

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

Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 is to be extinguished.

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in Old St Mellons. Now, I need my files but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing 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 Old St Mellons of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Fifty years unexpired on my flat in Old St Mellons. I am keen to extend my lease but my freeholder is missing. 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 apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to locate the lessor. In some cases a specialist would be useful to conduct investigations and to produce a report to be used as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Old St Mellons.

Old St Mellons Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should consider before buying

What is the name of the managing agents? Be sure to enquire if the the lease contains any unreasonable restrictions in the lease. For example plenty of leases prohibit pets being allowed in certain buildings in Old St Mellons. If you love the flatin Old St Mellons but your dog is not allowed to make the move with you then you will be faced hard choice. You will want to find out as much as possible about the company managing the block as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you will be in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to day to day matters like the tidiness of the common parts. Ask other tenants what they think of their management. In conclusion, be sure you understand the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and specifically how they are spending that money.