I own a freehold property in Romford but nevertheless charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Romford and has limited impact for conveyancing in Romford 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 many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

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

I have recentlybecome aware that Stirling Law have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Romford for a purchase of a freehold house 9 months ago. How can I be sure that the property is in my name in the name of the previous owner?

The easiest method to check if the premises is registered to you, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Romford conveyancing specialists.

Taking into account that I will soon part with £400,000 on a terraced house in Romford I wish to have a conversation with the lawyer concerning thetransaction in advance of giving the go ahead to the firm. Can this be arranged?

This is something that we recommend - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the conveyancer due to be conducting your property ownership legalities in Romford.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is an important individual, not a case reference. The law firms that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are provided with for your conveyancing in Romford should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.

In my capacity as executor for the will of my grandmother I am selling a residence in Swansea but I am based in Romford. My lawyer (who is 200 miles awayneeds me to execute a stat dec ahead of completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Romford who can witness this legal document for me?

Technically speaking you are not likely to be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or qualified solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are Romford based

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Romford. Conveyancing and Chelsea Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing solicitor in Romford who acted for me is not around. What should I do?

First contact the Land Registry to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. There is no need to incur the fees of a Romford conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Following months of dialogue we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Romford. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

in cases where there is a missing freeholder or if there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to assess the price.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Romford residence is 37 Lodge Court High Street in November 2013. the decision of the LVT was that the premium to be paid for the new lease was £25,559 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 57.5 years.