I am obtaining a offer of a home loan from Santander. I would like to retain the legal services of a Licensed Conveyancer in Darlington. Does the Santander Solicitor panel include Licensed Conveyancers?

The Santander conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, represented by the CML or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.

I purchased a freehold property in Darlington but still pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Darlington and has limited impact for conveyancing in Darlington 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 establishment of new rentcharges post 1977.

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

My wife and I are in the process of viewing flats in Darlington and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it premature to have a solicitor in place? I am planning to take a mortgage with Co-operative.

You should start requesting conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the estate agent. Given that you are getting a mortgage with Co-operative, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel.

The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Darlington. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?

Most lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.

I recently had an offer accepted on a house in Darlington. My financial adviser suggested a property lawyer. I paid an on account payment of £150. Not long after, the property lawyer contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Santander 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 Santander 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.

Me and my brother purchased a 4 bedroom Victorian house in Darlington. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Coventry Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Darlington and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the purchase.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Darlington I like with amenity areas and station in the vicinity, however it's only got 49 years on the lease. There is not much else in Darlington suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a mortgage that many years will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.