I purchased a freehold house in Vauxhall yet invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Vauxhall and has limited impact for conveyancing in Vauxhall 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 fresh 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 is to be dispensed with completely.

My home in Vauxhall is up for sale and I have a buyer. Does my conveyancing practitioner need to be on the Santander conveyancing panel in order to deal with the discharge of my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Santander conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their specifications fairly frequently in recent years.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what was supposed to be a quick, chain free conveyancing. Vauxhall is where the house is located. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Vauxhall are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Vauxhall you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Vauxhall may ascertain 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.

I was advised by a few estate agents in Vauxhall to choose a property lawyer using your seach tool. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to recommend your lawyers ahead of another?

We don’t offer any financial incentive for directing people in our direction. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission because a client could think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

Our estate agent has suggested using their conveyancing practitioner for my conveyancing in Vauxhall - Is it not simpler easier to just use them?

You need to establish if the estate agent is recommending a conveyancer or introducing to a property lawyer. There are plenty of Vauxhall estate agents who recommend two or three Vauxhall conveyancing firms purely based on those lawyers offering a great service.