I purchased a freehold premises in North Shields and Tynemouth yet pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in North Shields and Tynemouth and has limited impact for conveyancing in North Shields and Tynemouth 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 generation of fresh rentcharges post 1977.

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 extinguished.

we are a couple who decided to purchase a newbuild apartment in North Shields and Tynemouth with a residential mortgage from Alliance & Leicester .We use our North Shields and Tynemouth conveyancing lawyer but Alliance & Leicester says he's not on their approved list of member firms. we are left little option but to use a Alliance & Leicester panel lawyer or retain our preferred solicitor and fork out for a Alliance & Leicester panel lawyer to represent them. This seems very unfair; Can we not simply insist that Alliance & Leicester use our lawyer?

Unfortunately,no. The mortgage issued to you is subject to its various provisions, a common one being that conveyancers needs to be on the Alliance & Leicester solicitor panel. Until recently, most mortgage companies had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Alliance & Leicester

We are due to move home in January. Does my conveyancing solicitor call the removal company on the day of completion. On a separate note, can you recommend a removal company in North Shields and Tynemouth. Conveyancing lawyer was organised prior to coming across your page.

On the day of completion you will need to collect the house keys from the selling agent but this can only be done once the vendors lawyers inform the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be handed over. Subsequently you can inform the removal company that you are ready to move in. As a matter of policy we do not recommend a specific removal organisation but can help you locate a conveyancing in North Shields and Tynemouth or a lawyer that specialises in conveyancing in North Shields and Tynemouth.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in North Shields and Tynemouth off the council. I have a mortgage offer with Aldermore. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Aldermore, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Aldermore conveyancing panel.

I recently had an offer accepted on a house in North Shields and Tynemouth. My financial adviser suggested a conveyancing practitioner. I paid an on account payment of £175. Soon after, the conveyancing practitioner called me to say that they were not on the HSBC 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 HSBC 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 moved into my house on 6 June and the transaction details is not yet registered. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in North Shields and Tynemouth said it will be concluded in less than a month. Are titles in North Shields and Tynemouth particularly slow to register?

As far as conveyancing in North Shields and Tynemouth is concerned, registration is no faster or slower than anywhere else in the country. Rather than based on location, timeframes can adjust according to who lodges the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry need to notify any interested parties. At present roughly three quarters of such applications are completed within two weeks but occasionally there can be extensive hold-ups. Historically registration is effected after the buyer is living at the property therefore an expedited registration is not typically top priority but if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your lawyers should speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.

I was advised by a couple of local property agents in North Shields and Tynemouth to get a quote from a property lawyer on your site. Is there a financial incentive for Estate Agents to promote your lawyers over and above alternative conveyancing organisations?

We don’t make any referral fee for sending work our way. We found it would be just too difficult a fee because members of the public would think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.