Can you help? My Herne Hill conveyancer is informing me me that he has toconduct Herne Hill conveyancing searches asthe firm are on the Nat Westsolicitor panel. Is this really necessary?

You have limited options available to you. As you are taking a mortgage with a mortgage company your has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the CML Handbook conditions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Herne Hill conveyancing searches.

I am the registered owner of a freehold premises in Herne Hill but nevertheless charged rent, why is this and what is this?

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

Previous rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 will be extinguished.

My grandmother passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the property in Herne Hill. The house had a small mortgage 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.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my house are lost. The lawyers who did the conveyancing in Herne Hill 10 years ago no longer exist. Will I be able to sell the house?

Gone are the days when you need to have the physical deeds to evidence that you own the land or property, given that the Land Registry have everything they need in a digital format.

What tools are available to search for a Herne Hill law firm on the conveyancing panel? I am a keen cyclist and am happy to travel upto 20miles to meet the solicitor.

Feel free to make use of the search on this page. Please select a bank and your location and you will see a number of Herne Hill conveyancing lawyers locally. We have listed some Herne Hill conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can contact them to verify if they are on the panel