I own a freehold residence in Streatham yet pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Streatham and has limited impact for conveyancing in Streatham 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 new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

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

The Streatham conveyancing firm that I appointed last week on my purchase in Streatham have suddenly shut down. They were on acting for me because I needed a lawyer on the RBS conveyancing panel and my previous Streatham lawyer was not. I paid them funds in advance. What do I do now?

Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then let them know immediately so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the RBS conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers should be in a position to help.

Have completed on a a terraced house in Streatham , What is the estimated time for the Land Registry to record my proprietorship? My Streatham conveyancing solicitor has been painfully slow, so I want to be certain that my ownership is recorded.

As far as conveyancing in Streatham registration is no quicker or slower than the rest of England and Wales. Rather than based on location, timeframes can vary according to the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry need to notify any other parties. As of today in the region of three quarters of such applications are fully addressed in less than three weeks but occasionally there can be extensive delays. Historically registration is effected after the new owner is living at the property thus registration formalities is not typically top priority yet if it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your lawyers can speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.

Is it possible to change solicitor as I have to choose one who is on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing list. I instructed a family conveyancing solicitor in Streatham round the corner but the firm is not accepted by Birmingham Midshires

We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in Streatham on the Birmingham Midshires panel. Please note that the conveyancers that we list do not pay us commission if you instruct them and are fully regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who regulate all conveyancing solicitors in Streatham. In utilising search facility on this website, you can compare and instruct different solicitors and conveyancers both nationally and in Streatham.

Is it best to use a Streatham conveyancing solicitor based in the location that I am hoping to buy? An old friend can deal with the conveyancing however his firm is located 400kilometers away.

The benefit of a high street Streatham conveyancing firm is that you can drop in to sign paperwork, hand in your identification documents and pester them if necessary. They will also have local intelligence which is a benefit. That being said it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who instructed your friend and on the whole were impressed that should outweigh using an unknown Streatham conveyancing solicitor just because they are Streatham based.