The vendors of the home we are purchasing hired a conveyancing practitioner in Chapel Allerton who has insisted on a exclusivity contract with a payment two thousand pounds. Are such arrangements recommended for Chapel Allerton conveyancing transactions?

There are a couple of primary concerns with signing a lock out agreement (also referred to as a no-shop agreement) is that it takes away the focus from making progress with the conveyancing work, so unless it requires limited or no negotiation then it may turn out to be a hindrance. It is not strongly advocated amongst Chapel Allerton conveyancing lawyers for this reason. The other main negative is the extent of the remedies available - a jilted buyer should not expect to win injunctive relief to stop the seller disposing of the property to an alternative purchaser, so the only remedy open via the agreement will be the recovery of wasted costs and, in restricted circumstances, the additional payment of damages.

I purchased a freehold house in Chapel Allerton but nevertheless charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Chapel Allerton and has limited impact for conveyancing in Chapel Allerton 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 many centuries, 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 after 2037 will be dispensed with completely.

My flat in Chapel Allerton is up for sale and I have a purchaser. Will the lawyer need to be required to be on the Nottingham conveyancing panel in order to deal with repayment of my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Nottingham conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their panel criteria fairly frequently in recent years.

Is there a list of Virgin Money panel conveyancers in Chapel Allerton on the Building Society Association’s Website?

No. There is no such directory service on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association sites. Very few lenders make their panel listings viewable on the web. If you are seeking to appoint a Chapel Allerton lawyer on the Virgin Money please use our facility.

We had selected solicitors based in Chapel Allerton on the Lloyds solicitor approved list. They are now charging me a further fee for handling the Lloyds mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Lloyds?

Provided it is contained in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your property lawyer is entitled to levy a fee for this. The fee is not dictated by Lloyds but by your Chapel Allerton property lawyer. Plenty of firms on the Lloyds panel will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee but many practices include it on their overall fee.

After shopping around on the internet I have found a Chapel Allerton property lawyer having checked that they are on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Clydesdale will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Clydesdale will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Chapel Allerton surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a property I have offered on a fortnight ago in what should have been a quick, no chain conveyancing. Chapel Allerton is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Chapel Allerton are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Chapel Allerton you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Chapel Allerton may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.