I own a freehold residence in Catford yet pay rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in Catford and has limited impact for conveyancing in Catford 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 creation of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.
Previous rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 will be dispensed with completely.
Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a search tool with a view to to identify firms on the Loughborough BS conveyancing panel for example in Catford?
Lexsure has not been advised of any plans on the part of the BSA to develop such a search facility.
When it comes to mortgage companies such as Principality, do Catford solicitors have to pay an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are unaware of any mortgage company fees to be on their panel, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.
Intending to buy a house in Catford. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Catford property lawyer is on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel.
I had an offer accepted on a property in Catford on 23/6/2026, valuation was booked 3 days later, received a clean bill of health. Solicitor retained, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Skipton and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Skipton conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Skipton to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Skipton conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
How does conveyancing in Catford differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Catford contact us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is completed. This is because new home sellers in Catford typically purchase the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Catford or who has acted in the same development.
I’m about to sell my garden flat in Catford. Conveyancing has not commenced, but I have recently received a half-yearly service charge demand – Do I pay up?
Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should pay the invoice as you normally would given that all ground rent and maintenance invoices will be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.
I have had difficulty in trying to purchase the freehold in Catford. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?
Where there is a missing freeholder or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to arrive at the sum to be paid.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Catford premises is 44 Elmer Road in January 2013. The Tribunal dacied that amount to be paid by the Leaseholders for the Landlords freehold reversion was £12,951 as at the valuation date (20" September 2012).This matter was referred back to the Bromley County Court to deal with costs, fees and any other outstanding matters. This case was in relation to 2 flats. The unexpired lease term was 74.25 years.
How much experience do your Catford conveyancing solicitors have with Help To Buy, Shared Equity and similar schemes?
Catford conveyancing lawyers help thousands of buyers move home every year and assisted lots of clients through the Help To Buy scheme. The chances are that whatever makes your case unique Catford conveyancers have worked on recent similar cases.