I am the registered owner of a freehold house in Winterbourne but nevertheless pay rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in Winterbourne and has limited impact for conveyancing in Winterbourne 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 establishment of new rentcharges post 1977.
Previous rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.
My lender has recommended a law firm on their panel based in Winterbourne but I would rather instruct a conveyancing lawyer in Winterbourne local to me. Are you able to assist?
Far from all Winterbourne conveyancing solicitors are approved and listed on all lender’s conveyancing panel. Please make use of our search tool to locate a Winterbourne conveyancing conveyancer on the on the bank panel.
I used Arc property Solicitors several years past for my conveyancing in Winterbourne. I now require my papers however cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?
You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down 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 Winterbourne of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Winterbourne I like with amenity areas and transport links in the vicinity, however it only has 52 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Winterbourne for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?
If you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be an issue. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.
I've recently bought a leasehold property in Winterbourne. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?
In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
Leasehold Conveyancing in Winterbourne - Examples of Queries Prior to buying
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Does the lease include onerous restrictions? Is anyone aware of any major works in the near future that could increase the maintenance charges?
Is it the case that all Winterbourne legal practices on every bank conveyancing panel?
The Lexsure search tool on this page may be of use or you can go into your high street lender branch in Winterbourne. Chances are that they can recommend conveyancing solicitors in Winterbourne