I purchased a freehold house in West Acton but nevertheless charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in West Acton and has limited impact for conveyancing in West Acton 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 establishment of fresh 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 after 2037 will be dispensed with completely.

We are expecting a mortgage offer soon. The lender mentioned the mortgage came with free conveyancing. Is the implication that I have to use their panel lawyer as I would prefer to appoint a West Acton based conveyancing firm?

Do check but the chances are that allocate you one of their panel solicitors should you take up the "fee-free" incentive. Speak to the mortgage company and ask if they make available a monetary alternative. Some mortgage companies have previously offered a £250 cashback as a further option in which case that money can go towards your preferred conveyancing solicitor in West Acton.

We are buying a flat in West Acton. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a conveyancer? On completion day we have to send funds into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our money?

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.

We were going to get a AIP from Clydesdale this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Clydesdale recommend any West Acton solicitors on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint West Acton solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Clydesdale through the process.

The mortgage over my property is with Santander for my property in West Acton. Conveyancing was finalised some time ago. In the event that I decide to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Santander?

Santander must be informed of your intention prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Santander’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Santander directly. You need not do this via a Santander conveyancing panel firm.

Me and my brother have a 4 bedroom Victorian property in West Acton. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and HSBC Bank. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same property. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in West Acton and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also enquire as to the position with the conveyancing practitioner who completed the work.

Taking into account that I am about to spend £400,000 on 3 bedroom house in West Acton I would like to talk to a solicitor regarding theconveyancing before appointing the firm. Can this be arranged?

Absolutely - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the conveyancer due to be doing your property ownership legalities in West Acton.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is unique person, not a case reference. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are provided with for residential conveyancing in West Acton should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.