My partner and I changing mortgage lender for our flat in Cottenham Park with Barclays. We have a son 18 who lives with us. Our solicitor requested us to identify any adults other than ourselves who reside at the property. Our lawyer has now e-mailed a document for our son to sign, waiving any legal rights in the event that the apartment is repossessed. I have a couple of concerns (1) Is this document specific to the Barclays conveyancing panel as he never had to sign this form when we purchased 3 years ago (2) Does our son by signing this giving up his entitlement to inherit the property?

On the face of it your lawyer has done nothing wrong as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Barclays. This is solely used to protect Barclays if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave. It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Barclays had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.

I purchased a freehold premises in Cottenham Park but nevertheless pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Cottenham Park and has limited impact for conveyancing in Cottenham Park 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 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 is to be dispensed with completely.

we are a couple who are hoping to buy a newbuild apartment in Cottenham Park with a residential mortgage from Santander.We have a Cottenham Park conveyancing lawyer but Santander says he's not listed on their approved list of member firms. we are left little option but to use a Santander panel solicitor or retain our high street solicitor and pay for a Santander panel lawyer to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. The loan issued to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that solicitors will be on the Santander approved list. in the past, most banks had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could find one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Santander

My husband and I are new on the property ladder - agreed a price, but the property agent has warned us that the seller will only issue a contract if we use their recommended solicitors as they are insisting on an ‘expedited deal’. My instinct tells me that we should use a local solicitor accustomed to conveyancing in Cottenham Park

It is improbable the vendors are behind this. If they desire ‘a quick sale', turning down a serious purchaser is not the way to achieve this. Speak to the vendors direct and make sure they comprehend that (a)you are serious buyers (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you are chain free (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you intend to use your preferred Cottenham Park conveyancing solicitors - rather thanthose that will give the estate agent a kickback or meet his conveyancing targets set by head office.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the disposal of our £425,000 garden flat in Cottenham Park next week. The freeholder has quoted £348 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Cottenham Park?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Cottenham Park conveyancing will involve, questions about the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

Completing conveyancing due diligence questions Where consent is required before sale in Cottenham Park Supplying insurance information Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Cottenham Park leasehold property is £350. For Cottenham Park conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to provide the information.

I am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in Cottenham Park, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent flats in Cottenham Park with an extended lease are worth £216,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 2094

With just 70 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 plus professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.