I purchased a freehold property in Louth yet pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Louth and has limited impact for conveyancing in Louth 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 generation of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 will be extinguished.

My wife and I are selling our property in Louth and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being constructed on contaminated land. A high street Louth conveyancer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the purchasers instructed a national conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Louth. We have lived in Louth for many years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to seek confirmation need.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You must check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)

I have justdiscovered that Wolstenholmes have been shut down. They carried out my conveyancing in Louth for a purchase of a leasehold flat 18 months ago. How can I check that my home is registered correctly in the name of the former proprietor?

The easiest way to see if the property is registered to you, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Louth conveyancing specialists.

As co-executor for the estate of my grandmother I am selling a residence in Newport but reside in Louth. My lawyer (based 235 kilometers awayhas requested that I sign a statutory declaration prior to the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing solicitor in Louth who can witness this legal document for me?

Technically speaking you are unlikely to be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or qualified solicitor will do regardless of whether they are located in Louth

I’m about to sell my 2 bed apartment in Louth. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, but I have just received a yearly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

It best that you pay the invoice as normal given that all ground rent and service payments will be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

Louth Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries before buying

Is anyone aware of any major works on the horizon that will increase the service fees? Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge liability? Many Louth leasehold flats will have a service bill for maintenance of the block invoiced on behalf of the management company. Where you acquire the property you will have to pay this contribution, normally periodically accross the year. This may vary from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common grounds. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, normally this is not a large figure, say about £50-£100 but you should to check it because sometimes it could be surprisingly expensive.