I am buying a leasehold flat in Hagley. My Solicitor is not listed on the lender conveyancing panel. Is it possible for me to appoint my Hagley conveyancing solicitor even though they are not on the bank panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?

Your options include

• Complete the deal with your existing Hagley lawyer but your mortgage company will no doubt appoint a conveyancer on their conveyancing panel. The net result is additional fees and likely interruption.
• Appoint a new solicitor to conduct the conveyancing, obviously checking they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
• Convince your lawyer to apply to join the bank panel

I purchased a freehold property in Hagley but still charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Hagley and has limited impact for conveyancing in Hagley 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 establishment of fresh rentcharges post 1977.

Previous rentcharges can now be extinguished 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 been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and found one close by in Hagley I like with open areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 52 years on the lease. There is not much else in Hagley in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this.

Frank (my husband) and I may need to sub-let our Hagley garden flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Hagley conveyancing firm in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

The lease governs the relationship between the freeholder and you the leaseholder; specifically, it will indicate if subletting is banned, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The rule is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. Most leases in Hagley do not prevent an absolute prevention of subletting – such a provision would undoubtedly devalue the property. Instead, there is usually a basic requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a duplicate of the sublease.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Hagley - A selection of Queries before buying

Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge payments? In the main the cost for major works are not included within maintenance charges, albeit that there some managing agents in Hagley ask tenants to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific intention of building a fund for major repairs or maintenance. The answer will be useful as a) areas may cause problems in the block as the common areas may begin to deteriorate if services remain unpaid b) if the leasehold owners have a dispute with the running of the building you will wish to know about it

What type of premises does your Hagley conveyancing estimates apply to?

The quotes provided are only relevant to standard domestic property in England & Wales. Where you have any different needs for example industrial or agricultural property or commercial conveyancing in Hagley do contact us to address this further .