I purchased a freehold property in Droitwich but nevertheless invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Droitwich and has limited impact for conveyancing in Droitwich 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 establishment of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

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

Does a directory service exist listing Co-operative panel solicitors in Droitwich 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. A small selection of lenders make their panel listings open the public over the internet. Where you are in need of a Droitwich property lawyer on the Co-operative please make the most of our tool.

I recently had an offer accepted on a house in Droitwich. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their conveyancer. I paid an on account payment of £150. Soon after, the solicitor called me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the RBS 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 RBS 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.

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

Coventry BS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Coventry BS 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 Droitwich 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.

I bought my house on 7 November and the transaction details is not yet registered. Need I be worried? My conveyancing solicitor in Droitwich expressed confidence that it will be formalised inside ten days. Are transfers in Droitwich uniquely lengthy to register?

There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in Droitwich registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can differ subject to who lodges the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry have to notify any 3rd parties. At present in the region of 80% of such applications are fully dealt with within two weeks but some can be subject to extensive hold-ups. Registration is effected once the buyer is living at the property so 'speed' is not always primary concern yet if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your lawyers must contact the land registry and explain the circumstances.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £305k and found one round the corner in Droitwich I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it only has 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Droitwich suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?

Should you require a mortgage that many years may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this.

What does commercial conveyancing in Droitwich cover?

Droitwich conveyancing for business premises covers a broad range of services, supplied by qualified solicitors, relating to business premises. By way of example, this type of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more usually, the assignment of existing leases or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial loans and the termination of leases.