I am the registered owner of a freehold residence in Hartford yet charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Hartford and has limited impact for conveyancing in Hartford 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 lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 will be extinguished.

I used Wolstenholmes a few years ago for my conveyancing in Hartford. I now require my file but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Hartford of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and found one near me in Hartford I like with amenity areas and station nearby, the downside is that it only has 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Hartford for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?

If you require a mortgage that many years will be problematic. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.

In what way can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my commercial property in Hartford and how can you help?

The particular law that you refer to provides a safeguard to business tenants, giving them the right to make a request to court for a new tenancy and continue in occupation when the lease reaches an end. There are certain specified grounds that a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are complicated. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing practices who use the act for protection and handle your commercial conveyancing in Hartford

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Hartford. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Hartford - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Hartford Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

The prefered form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this arrangement the tenants have being in charge if their destiny and although a managing agent is usually retained where it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. How is the lease structured?