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

It’s unusual for properties in Ruxley and has limited impact for conveyancing in Ruxley 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 many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

Previous rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 is to be extinguished.

We intend to purchase a purpose built apartment in Ruxley with a loan from Godiva Mortgages Ltd.We like our Ruxley conveyancing lawyer but Godiva Mortgages Ltd advised that her practice is not listed on their approved list of member firms. It seems we have little choice but to instruct a Godiva Mortgages Ltd panel solicitor or retain our high street solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. This seems very unfair; Can we not simply insist that Godiva Mortgages Ltd use our lawyer?

Unfortunately,no. The loan offered to you is subject to its various provisions, a common one being that lawyers needs to be on the Godiva Mortgages Ltd approved list. in the past, most mortgage companies had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could find one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Godiva Mortgages Ltd

Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that may impact a commercial estate in Ruxley?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Ruxley will order a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers invest in investigating accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Ruxley. The report provides definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Ruxley.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Ruxley it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can cause delays to Ruxley commercial conveyancing deals as well as pose a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not ordered for domestic conveyancing in Ruxley.

How does conveyancing in Ruxley differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Ruxley come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is finished. This is because house builders in Ruxley tend to buy the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Ruxley or who has acted in the same development.

We have an offer in principle from The Royal Bank of Scotland who have advised that they will loan up to £400k. When do I need to appoint a lawyer for conveyancing? Ruxley is where we plan to move to.

You can instruct a solicitor now and ask them to open a file on your behalf. This will facilitate: 1) the selling agent to issue a Sales Memorandum to the relevant parties 2) the seller’s lawyer to send out the draft contract. However, do not ask your conveyancer to order searches until you have your valuation report from The Royal Bank of Scotland and you are willing to move forward.