I own a freehold property in Warrington yet charged rent, why is this and what is this?

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

Old rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.

We are purchasing a flat in Warrington. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a conveyancer? At some point we will need to put money into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our monies?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

is it true that all Warrington solicitor firms on the Santander conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Santander conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Some banks do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the organisation would be governed by the CLC.

After shopping around on the internet I have found a Warrington conveyancing practitioner having made sure that they are on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Leeds Building Society will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Leeds Building Society will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Warrington surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

I decided to have a survey done on a house in Warrington before instructing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. Our surveyor advised that some mortgage companies will not issue a mortgage on a flying freehold home.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to telephone us we can look into this further with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Warrington. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

I was advised by a few selling agents in Warrington to choose a conveyancer using your seach tool. What’s the financial inducement for Estate Agents to recommend your lawyers ahead of alternative conveyancing organisations?

We refuse to make any commission for pointing buyers and sellers to this site. We thought it would be too underhand a fee as a client could think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

I am a fortnight into a residential purchase having been directed to solicitors by the local agent to carry out the conveyancing in Warrington. We are not happy. Could you help me find new solicitors?

They would have to be very bad to suggest changing them. Has the mortgage been generated? If so you need to advise them of the new solicitor and ensure the mortgage documents are re-issued. The conveyancer needs to be on the mortgage company approved list to avoid added fees and frustration. That should be your starting point. The find a solicitor tool can assist you in finding a lender approved lawyer for your home move in Warrington