I am the registered owner of a freehold premises in Prescot but nevertheless charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Prescot and has limited impact for conveyancing in Prescot 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 creation of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

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

I am assisting my niece sell her property in Prescot. Does the conveyancer order the energy assessment or do I organise this?

Following the demise of HIPs, energy performance certificates was retained a mandatory element of selling a property. An EPC must be to hand before the property is marketed. This is not as aspect of the sale process that law firms ordinarily arrange. If you are using a Prescot conveyancing solicitor they may be able to arrange EPC’s due to their relationships with reputable Prescot assessors

Is it the case that all Prescot solicitor firms on the conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the approved list of solicitors they would need to be overseen by the SRA. Many banks do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the practice would be regulated by the CLC.

We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from as we wish to carry out alterations to our property in Prescot. Do we need to appoint a high street Prescot solicitor on the conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?

would not normally appoint firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the panel.

A relative suggested that if I am purchasing in Prescot I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Prescot conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and detailing significant information about Prescot around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Prescot Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information regarding Prescot.

I opted to have a survey done on a property in Prescot ahead of retaining lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the house. The surveyor advised that some banks tend refuse to issue a loan on such a house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can check with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Prescot. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Prescot to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.

Why can't I complete my conveyancing in Prescot on May bank holiday?

Because on completion the funds will pass between the banks of the purchaser and owner’s and at present this can only happen on a business day. So you can't complete on a weekend either.