I own a freehold house in Wantage but still charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Wantage and has limited impact for conveyancing in Wantage 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 generation of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

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

Are the BSA intent on creating a search tool with a view to list firms on the Loughborough BS conveyancing panel for example in Wantage?

We are not aware of any intention on the part of the BSA to develop such a register.

As co-executor for the will of my grandfather I am selling a property in Cardiff but live in Wantage. My solicitor (based 260 miles awayhas requested that I execute a statutory declaration ahead of the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Wantage who can attest and place their company stamp on the document?

Technically speaking you should not be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or qualified solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are located in Wantage

I am hoping to exchange soon on a basement flat in Wantage. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they will have a report out to me next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Wantage should include some of the following:

You should know whether the lease permits you to change or upgrade anything in the premises- you should be made aware as to whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether permission is mandated necessary Rent payments - what is payable and what the invoice dates are, and be on notice if this is subject to change What remedies are open the freeholder should you are in breach of your lease terms? Does the lease require carpeting throughout thus preventing wood flooring?

I bought a studio flat in Wantage, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding properties in Wantage with over 90 years remaining are worth £216,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease ends on 21st October 2093

You have 68 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 plus legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is 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 comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

The solicitors conducting our conveyancing in Wantage has sent documents to review that state the property is unregistered with epitome documents. Surely all houses in Wantage are registered?

It is unusual for premises in Wantage not to be registered. An 'epitome' is basically a dossier of photocopies of documents affecting an unregistered title. Plenty of Wantage conveyancing practitioners will be able to handle such matters but if any uncertainty exists the standard advice these days seems to be for the current owners to undertake the registration formalities first and thereafter deal with the dispose of the property to the purchaser - this this chain of events will cause a prolonged transaction.