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

It is rare for properties in St Athan and has limited impact for conveyancing in St Athan 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 many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation 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 in 2037 will be dispensed with completely.

My mortgage company has recommended solicitors on their panel based in St Athan but I would rather use a conveyancing lawyer in St Athan or nearer to where I live. Are you able to help?

The minority of St Athan conveyancing practices are listed all banks conveyancing panel. Use the above find an approved solicitor tool to find a St Athan conveyancing firm on the on the lender panel.

In what way can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my business offices in St Athan and how can you help?

The particular law that you refer to affords protection to business lessees, giving them the legal entitlement to make a request to court for a new tenancy and remain in occupation at the end of the lease term. There are certain specified grounds where a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are involved. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing practices who use the act to your advantage and assist with commercial conveyancing in St Athan

My husband and I are 3 weeks into a leasehold purchase having been referred to conveyancers by the local agent to perform conveyancing in St Athan. I am not happy. Can you help me find new conveyancers?

A solicitor would need to be really bad in order to consider changing them. Has the loan offer been issued? In the event that it has you need to make them aware of the new conveyancer and have the mortgage documents are issued to the new lawyers. The solicitor ideally should be on the banks approved list to avoid supplemental expenses and delays. That should be your first question of the new conveyancers. The find a solicitor tool can assist you in finding a bank approved conveyancer for your home move in St Athan

I am looking at a two maisonettes in St Athan which have approximately forty five years remaining on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold flat in St Athan is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the salability of the premises. For most purchasers and lenders, leases with under eighty years become less and less marketable. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with St Athan conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

Leasehold Conveyancing in St Athan - A selection of Queries before buying

Who takes charge for maintaining and repairing the block? The prefered form of lease arrangement is where the freehold title is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this situation the tenants enjoy being in charge if their destiny and even though a managing agent is frequently retained if it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent employed by the leaseholders. For most St Athan leaseholds the cost for major works tend not to be built into the service charges, albeit that some managing agents in St Athan ask leasehold owners to contribute towards a sinking fund and this is used to offset against major repairs or maintenance.