My partner and I intend to remortgage our flat in Hornsey Rise with TSB. We have a son approaching twenty who lives at home. Our solicitor requested us to identify any adults other than ourselves who reside at the property. The solicitor has now sent a form for our son to sign, waiving any legal rights in the event that the apartment is repossessed. I have a couple of questions (1) Is this form unique to the TSB conveyancing panel as he never had to sign this form when we remortgaged 5 years ago (2) Does our son by signing this extinguish his entitlement to inherit the property?

First, rest assured that your TSB conveyancing panel solicitor is doing the right thing as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to TSB. This is solely used to protect TSB if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave. It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of TSB had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.

I purchased a freehold house in Hornsey Rise but still pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Hornsey Rise and has limited impact for conveyancing in Hornsey Rise 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 creation of fresh rentcharges post 1977.

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

My wife and I purchasing a detached bungalow in Hornsey Rise. We would like to convert the garage to an office at the property.Will legal conveyancing on the property include checks to ascertain if these works were previously refused?

Your solicitor should check the deeds as conveyancing in Hornsey Rise can occasionally reveal restrictions in the title deeds which prevent categories of works or require the consent of another owner. Many extensions require local authority planning consent and approval in accordance building regulations. Certain areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Co-operative. I assume I don't need a Hornsey Rise lawyer on the Co-operative panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Co-operative mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Co-operative mortgage from the register. Co-operative, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Co-operative has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Co-operative has instructed the Land Registry to do so

After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Hornsey Rise. My mortgage broker suggested a lawyer. I paid an advanced payment of £200. A couple of days later, the lawyer called me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Kent Reliance panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I need some quick conveyancing in Hornsey Rise as I have a deadline to complete in less than one month. A home loan is not required. Is it possible to escape the need for conveyancing searches to save fees and time?

If.Given you are are a mortgage free buyer you have the choice not to do searches although no conveyancer would recommend that you don't. Drawing on years of experience of conveyancing in Hornsey Rise the following are examples of issues that can arise and therefore impact future saleability: Refused Planning Applications, Outstanding Charges, Overdue Grants, Unadopted Roads,...

I've found a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have since found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in Hornsey Rise. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Hornsey Rise ?

The majority of houses in Hornsey Rise are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Hornsey Rise in which case you should be looking for a Hornsey Rise conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer will report to you on the legal implications.

After years of dialogue we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Hornsey Rise. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Hornsey Rise conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Hornsey Rise premises is 51 Lorne Road in November 2009. The price Payable as decided by the tribunal for the freehold reversion was £27,000. The valuation follows the order of the County Court made on 3 April 2008 granting a vesting order. This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 71 years.