I am the registered owner of a freehold house in Howden yet charged rent, why is this and what is this?
It is rare for properties in Howden and has limited impact for conveyancing in Howden 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 creation of new rentcharges post 1977.
Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.
I appreciate that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Do I need chancel insurance when acquiring a property in Howden? or I am told that there is a law dating back centuries that means some owners of property living in a parish church boundary may be liable to contribute towards maintenance to the chancel within the church. Is this suitable for conveyancing in Howden?
Unless a prior purchase of the house took place after 12 October 2013 you can expect solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Howden to continue to propose a a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
I used Arc property Solicitors a few years ago for my conveyancing in Howden. I now require my papers but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Howden of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
How does conveyancing in Howden differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Howden come to us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is built. This is because house builders in Howden usually buy the real estate, 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 Howden or who has acted in the same development.
Should I appoint a Howden conveyancing practitioner in close proximity to the house I am buying? We have a good friend who can perform the legal work however her office is 400kilometers away.
The benefit of a local Howden conveyancing firm is that you can pop in to execute documents, present your identification documents and pester them if necessary. They will also have local intelligence which is a benefit. That being said it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who instructed your friend and in the main were content that should outweigh using an unknown Howden conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being Howden based.
Do I have to visit the offices of the bank conveyancing panel solicitor to sign the legal charge? If so, I will choose one who does conveyancing in Howden as it will be easier to pop in to their offices if necessary.
Whereas this was necessary 12 years ago, most lenders no longer require their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the borrowers signature. You will still be obliged to provide ID Documents and there are still distinct advantages to using a local solicitor, in your case a conveyancing solicitor in Howden.