I own a freehold residence in Sittingbourne but still charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Sittingbourne and has limited impact for conveyancing in Sittingbourne 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 from 1977 onwards.

Old 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.

My apartment in Sittingbourne is up for sale and I have accepted an offer. Does the conveyancer need to be required to be on the Aldermore conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Aldermore conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their specifications fairly frequently currently.

Do I need to pay for insurance to protect me from financial exposure to chancel repairs when buying a house in Sittingbourne?

Unless a previous purchase of the premises completed post 12 October 2013 you may expect lawyers carrying out conveyancing in Sittingbourne to continue to recommend a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in last month in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Sittingbourne is the location of the property. Can you offer any opinion?

Flying freeholds in Sittingbourne are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Sittingbourne you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Sittingbourne may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

I have recently realised that I have 62 years left on my flat in Sittingbourne. I need to extend my lease but my freeholder is can not be found. What are my options?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to locate the freeholder. On the whole a specialist would be helpful to carry out a search and to produce an expert document to be used as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Sittingbourne.

Sittingbourne Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

In the main the outlay for major works are not wrapped into the service charges, although a few managing agents in Sittingbourne ask leaseholders to pay into a reserve fund created for the specific intention of building a fund for major repairs or maintenance. How is the lease structured? You will want to discover as much as you can concerning the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are often in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to daily issues such as the tidiness of the communal areas. Enquire of other people if they are happy with their service. On a final note, be sure you discover the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the relevant party and specifically how they are spending the funds.