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

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

Previous 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 extinguished.

Should my solicitor be making enquiries regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in Stretton.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers carrying out conveyancing in Stretton. There are those who acquire a house in Stretton, fully aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Lawyers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a number of checks that can be carried out by the purchaser or by their lawyers which should figure out the risks in Stretton. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms given to a buyer’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a standard inquiry of the seller to discover whether the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that the premises has been flooded in past which is not revealed by the owner, then a buyer could bring a claim for damages resulting from an incorrect response. The purchaser’s lawyers may also conduct an enviro report. This should indicate if there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations will need to be conducted.

I am buying my first flat in Stretton benefiting from help to buy. The sellers would not budge the amount so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The property agent suggested that I not disclose to my conveyancer about this deal as it may put at risk my mortgage with . Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I have been advised by numerous estate agents in Stretton to locate a solicitor on your site. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to market your lawyers over and above another?

We don’t make any referral fee for directing people in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission as members of the public would think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

How much experience do your Stretton conveyancing solicitors have with Help To Buy, Shared Equity and similar schemes?

Stretton conveyancing lawyers help thousands of people move home every year and assisted lots of clients through the Help To Buy scheme. The chances are that whatever makes your case unique Stretton conveyancers have worked on recent similar cases.