I am the registered owner of a freehold property in Atherton but nevertheless charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Atherton and has limited impact for conveyancing in Atherton 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 fresh rentcharges post 1977.

Previous rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 will be dispensed with completely.

I am buying a house and require a conveyancing solicitor in Atherton who is on the Nottingham Building Society solicitor. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a solicitor?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Nottingham Building Society in certain locations such as Atherton. We dont recommend any particular firm.

What can a local search inform me about the property I am buying in Atherton?

Atherton conveyancing often starts with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search company such as Onsearch The local search plays a central role in most Atherton conveyancing purchase; that is if you wish to avoid any unpleasant surprises after you move into your new home. The search should reveal data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen subject headings.

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Atherton prior to instructing lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the property. My surveyor advised that some mortgage companies may refuse to grant a mortgage on this type of property.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different requirements for example to Birmingham Midshires. If you call us we can look into this further with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Atherton. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Atherton. Conveyancing and Barclays Direct mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Atherton who previously acted has now retired. What should I do?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Atherton conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I inherited a leasehold flat in Atherton, conveyancing was carried out 9 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar flats in Atherton with a long lease are worth £176,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2105

With only 80 years unexpired the likely cost is going to be between £7,600 and £8,800 plus professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.