I own a freehold residence in Turvey but nevertheless pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Turvey and has limited impact for conveyancing in Turvey 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 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 post 2037 will be extinguished.

I have recentlybeen informed that Action Conveyancing have been shut down. They conducted my conveyancing in Turvey for a purchase of a leasehold apartment 18 months ago. How can I establish that the property is registered correctly in the name of the former proprietor?

The easiest method to see if the property is registered to you, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Turvey conveyancing specialists.

We're first time buyers - agreed a price, yet the estate agent told us that the owners will only issue a contract if we appoint the agent's preferred solicitors as they want an ‘expedited deal’. My instinct tells me that we should use a family solicitor with experience of conveyancing in Turvey

We suspect that the owner is unaware of this demand. Should the owner want ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a motivated purchaser is likely to cause more damage than good. Speak to the vendors direct and make the point that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you have nothing to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you are going to instruct your preferred Turvey conveyancing firm - not the ones that will earn the estate agent a commission or hit his conveyancing thresholds pre-set by head office.

What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Turvey conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Turvey conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you talk with two or three firms including non Turvey conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be useful:

If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason? Can they put you in touch with clients in Turvey who can give a testimonial?

I own a leasehold flat in Turvey, conveyancing formalities finalised April 1995. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Turvey with over 90 years remaining are worth £195,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2088

With 63 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £16,200 and £18,600 plus legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously 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.

I have been told by numerous family members that it can take six to eight weeks for Turvey conveyancing to complete.This was four weeks ago. The draft contract was only sent to my lawyer a couple of days ago so does the clock start running now?

There is no definitive time frame for conveyancing in Turvey. Conveyancing is subject to too much unpredictabilities. Turvey conveyancing searches alone could take up to month to be returned.