I am the registered owner of a freehold premises in Colliers Wood but still invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Colliers Wood and has limited impact for conveyancing in Colliers Wood 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 lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 is to be extinguished.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Nottingham, do Colliers Wood conveyancers incur an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are unaware of any lender fees to register on their panel, although some do levy an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Colliers Wood. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an upfront payment of £200. A few days later, the conveyancer contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Virgin Money panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I am due to exchange contracts on my house. I had a double glazing fitted in March 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Aldermore are being difficult. The Colliers Wood solicitor who is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Aldermore are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Aldermore have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Aldermore have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Aldermore may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

Will my conveyancer be making enquiries regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Colliers Wood.

Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors dealing with homes in Colliers Wood. There are those who buy a property in Colliers Wood, completely expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical destruction, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable insurance cover, or sell the property. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.

Conveyancers are not best placed to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a various searches that can be undertaken by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which should give them a better understanding of the risks in Colliers Wood. The standard property information forms given to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a standard inquiry of the seller to find out if the premises has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred and is not notified by the vendor, then a buyer could commence a compensation claim as a result of such an incorrect response. The purchaser’s conveyancers may also order an enviro search. This will higlight whether there is any known flood risk. If so, additional inquiries should be carried out.

What tools are available to identify a Colliers Wood law firm on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing panel? I am a keen cyclist and am willing to travel upto 20miles to meet the lawyer.

You can use the tool on this website. Please select a mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Colliers Wood conveyancing lawyers located nearest you. We have listed some Colliers Wood conveyancing firms at the bottom of this page and you can ring them to check whether they are on the Birmingham Midshires approved list

We're novice buyers - had an offer accepted, yet the selling agent has warned us that the vendor will only go ahead if we appoint the agent's chosen conveyancers as they need an ‘expedited deal’. We would rather use a family conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Colliers Wood

We suspect that the seller is not behind this requirement. Should the seller want ‘a quick sale', turning down a motivated buyer is is going to put the whole deal at risk. Avoid the agents and go straight to the sellers and make sure they understand (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you do not need to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you are going to appoint your preferred Colliers Wood conveyancing lawyers - rather thanthe ones that will earn their negotiator at the agency a introducer fee or hit his conveyancing figures demanded by HQ.