I purchased a freehold property in Whyteleafe but still pay rent, why is this and what is this?
It is rare for properties in Whyteleafe and has limited impact for conveyancing in Whyteleafe 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 new 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 post 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.
My uncle passed away 10 months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the property in Whyteleafe. The house had a small mortgage remaining of approximately £8000. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to UBS, pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?
If you intend to refinance then UBS will insist on your using a conveyancer on the UBS 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 UBS 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 UBS mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Co-operative. I assume I don't need a Whyteleafe property lawyer on the Co-operative panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Co-operative mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Co-operative mortgage from the register. Co-operative, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Co-operative has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Co-operative has instructed the Land Registry to do so
About to purchase maisonette in Whyteleafe. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Santander conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Whyteleafe conveyancing practitioner is on the Santander conveyancing panel.
I have finally had an offer on a flat in Whyteleafe agreed to, but there is a chain. The vendors have placed an offer on somewhere, however it’s not yet tied up, and have viewings of other apartments booked. I have chosen a local conveyancing solicitor in Whyteleafe. What should be my next step? At what stage do I apply for the mortgage with Leeds Building Society?
It is normal to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (home loan application is approx £1k, then valuation, Whyteleafe conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you must ensure that your conveyancer is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. As to the subsequent stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your transaction, attraction to this property and on the state of the market. During a rising market many purchasers would apply for a home loan with Leeds Building Society and arrange for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their lawyer to move forward with the conveyancing in Whyteleafe.
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my property are lost. The conveyancers who handled the conveyancing in Whyteleafe 10 years ago are no longer around. What are my next steps?
You no longer need to hold title original deeds to prove you own the land or property, as the Land Registry have everything they need in a digital format.
Am I best advised to choose a Whyteleafe conveyancing lawyer based in the area that I am purchasing? We have a good friend who can carry out the legal formalities but they are based over three hundred miles drive away.
The benefit of a local Whyteleafe conveyancing firm is that you can drop in to execute paperwork, deliver your ID and pester them if necessary. Having local Whyteleafe know how is a bonus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If if people you trust instructed your friend and on the whole were impressed that must surpass using an unknown Whyteleafe conveyancing solicitor just because they are round the corner.