I am hoping to receive a mortgage with Santander. I hope to enlist the help of a Licensed Conveyancer in West Dean. Does the Santander Conveyancing panel allow for conveyancers regulated by the CLC?

The Santander approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders, associated to the CML or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I purchased a freehold property in West Dean but still pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in West Dean and has limited impact for conveyancing in West Dean 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 hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the establishment of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

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

It has been 2 months following my purchase conveyancing in West Dean completed. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £180,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the asset from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £245,000 and identified one close by in West Dean I like with a park and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 52 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in West Dean in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

If you need a home loan that many years will be an issue. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing lawyer in West Dean for my house move. Is it possible to check a firm’s record with the profession’s regulator?

Anyone can review documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's record, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may recorded call for training reasons.