I am the registered owner of a freehold property in Tetbury but still invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Tetbury and has limited impact for conveyancing in Tetbury 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 establishment of new rentcharges post 1977.

Previous 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 grandmother passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the property in Tetbury. The house had a relatively small loan remaining of approximately £8000. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to , pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?

Where you plan to refinance then will require that you use a conveyancer on the conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

A relative informed me that in purchasing a property in Tetbury there may be various restrictions preventing external changes to the property. Is this right?

There are anumerous of properties in Tetbury which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Tetbury should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Tetbury. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with your lawyer must follow the conveyancing requirements outlined in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for . The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and are required to report to where a lease does not meet these specifications. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Tetbury.

I can not work out if my lender obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called my Tetbury bank branch on a couple of occasions and was told it does not impact the mortgage offer and they would lend. My Tetbury conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they refuse to lend in accordance with their specific requirements. I simply don't know who is right.

Provided that the is on the bank panel, they must comply with the CML Handbook conditions for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

My wife and I own a terraced Georgian property in Tetbury. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and . I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Tetbury and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who completed the work.

We are soon to buying a property in Tetbury. Conveyancing is not complete but we would like have the amount we are are buying for private from the likes of Zoopla. How can this be done?

The Land Registry by statute are required to disclose price paid data on a register of the title for domestic properties nationwide including properties in Tetbury. The Title Register is an open document, so HM Land Registry would be breaching their statutory obligations excluded specific properties such as your property in Tetbury.

In essence you can ask the Land Registry to withhold the amount paid entry however the answer will be in the negative.