I was told today by my mortgage adviser that my Blackburn the law firm I have appointed is not on the mortgage company Conveyancing panel. How can I be certain whether this is indeed the case?

The sensible course of action for you to take is to call your Blackburn conveyancer. You lawyer should advise you what has happened. Where they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the conveyancing panel for your mortgage company.

I am the registered owner of a freehold residence in Blackburn but nevertheless invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Blackburn and has limited impact for conveyancing in Blackburn 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 generation 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 extinguished.

I have been recommended a conveyancing solicitor in Blackburn. I need to find out whether they are accepted on the Accord Mortgages Ltd approved list of lawyers. Can you help?

The first thing you should do is e-mail the lawyer and enquire whether they can act for the lender. Otherwise you should get in touch with Accord Mortgages Ltd who may be able to confirm.

I decided to have a survey carried out on a house in Blackburn ahead of instructing conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor has said that some mortgage companies may refuse to grant a loan on such a home.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different requirements for example to Nationwide. If you e-mail us we can investigate further via the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Blackburn. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Blackburn to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

Helen (my wife) and I may need to sub-let our Blackburn basement flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We instructed a Blackburn conveyancing practice in 2004 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time get any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

A lease governs the relationship between the freeholder and you the flat owner; in particular, it will indicate if subletting is not allowed, or permitted but only subject to certain caveats. The rule is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. Most leases in Blackburn do not contain an absolute prevention of subletting – such a clause would adversely affect the market value the property. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a duplicate of the tenancy agreement.

I purchased a 1 bedroom flat in Blackburn, conveyancing formalities finalised November 1999. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Blackburn with an extended lease are worth £171,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease terminates on 21st October 2104

You have 79 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £8,600 and £9,800 plus costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.