I am hoping to move into my new home in East Twickenham next Thursday. My solicitor now wants me to supply her with proof of content and building insurance for the property as he says that he has to check this in his capacity as lawyer for the bank. What does the insurance need to cover?

Any lawyer on acting for lenders would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s Part 2 conditions. These obligations are not specific to conveyancing in East Twickenham.

I own a freehold residence in East Twickenham but nevertheless pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in East Twickenham and has limited impact for conveyancing in East Twickenham 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 new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

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

Is there a search tool that I can use to find out if the solicitor handling my conveyancing in East Twickenham is on the bank’sapproved panel? I am looking to avoid the situation of having one lawyer for me and one for Bank of Ireland thus paying £192.00 in further conveyancing charges.

Please do make use of the search tool on this web page. Please choose the lender and type ‘East Twickenham’ or your preferred area and you will see a number of lawyer based in East Twickenham or by proximity to you.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on last month in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. East Twickenham is where the house is located. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in East Twickenham are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside East Twickenham you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in East Twickenham may determine 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 property.

Me and my partner have just had an offer agreed on a apartment and had an appointment on Monday with the Post Office for the mortgage. They have informed me that when it comes to selecting a solicitor that unless they are on their approved list of lawyers then we will have to pay out an additional charge of about two hundred pounds. This is is due to the fact that they will then have to instruct a solicitor to act for them in addition to the one we choose to act for ourselves and we will be on the hook for their invoice. I have requested the Post Office to send me with a list so I can obtain estimates only from their approved lawyers but was told they dont have such a list to hand over. Is their an easier way of going about this?

You should ask the Post Office what their panel criteria is for a solicitor.Then ask the solicitor of your choice whether they fit that criteria and have they acted on mortgages for the Post Office historically. Where the answer to those is yes, then just clarify this with the Post Office. Alternatively please use our search tool and we may be able to identify a property lawyer in East Twickenham on the panel for the Post Office.