I am hoping to receive a mortgage with Santander. I would like to use a Licensed Conveyancer in Torrington. Does the Santander Solicitor panel exclude conveyancers regulated by the CLC?

The Santander approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders, associated to the Council or Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I purchased a freehold house in Torrington but still pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Torrington and has limited impact for conveyancing in Torrington 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 hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

Previous 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 dispensed with completely.

The Torrington conveyancing lawyers that I appointed last week on my house acquisition in Torrington have without warning closed. I chose them because I had to have a lawyer on the RBS conveyancing panel and my family Torrington lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take one hundred and fifty pounds for searches. What do I do now?

Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them straight away so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the RBS conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers may be able to help.

Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal proposed roadworks that could impact a commercial site in Torrington?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Torrington will execute a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers expend in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Torrington. The report provides definitive information 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 Torrington.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Torrington it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately could result in delays to Torrington commercial conveyancing transactions as well as pose a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not carried out for residential conveyancing in Torrington.

I wish to sublet my leasehold flat in Torrington. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Notwithstanding that your previous Torrington conveyancing solicitor is no longer available you can check your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the premises. The rule is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you must seek consent from your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of prior permission. Such consent should not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I own a leasehold flat in Torrington, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable flats in Torrington with an extended lease are worth £191,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced every year. The lease ends on 21st October 2079

With only 54 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £26,600 and £30,800 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.