I purchased a freehold property in St Albans but nevertheless charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in St Albans and has limited impact for conveyancing in St Albans 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 creation of new 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 after 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.

I am selling our house in St Albans and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built on contaminated land. Any high street St Albans conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers used a national conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in St Albans. Having lived in St Albans for three years we know that this is a non issue. Do we contact our local Authority to seek confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor already. What do they say? You must enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in St Albans?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in St Albans. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

How does conveyancing in St Albans differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in St Albans approach us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is completed. This is because builders in St Albans usually 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 used to new build conveyancing in St Albans or who has acted in the same development.

I am using a search engine for the words conveyancing in St Albans it shows results of numerous property lawyersin the vicinity. How do I determine which is the suitable conveyancing solicitor for purchase transaction?

The preferential way of choosing a suitable conveyancer is through a trusted recommendation, so ask friends and those you trust who have purchased a property in St Albans or the local estate agent or financial adviser. Fees for conveyancing in St Albans differ, so it's sensible to request at least three fee calculations from varying types of property lawyers. Be sure to seek confirmation what costs in the quote includes.