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

It’s unusual for properties in Ruxley and has limited impact for conveyancing in Ruxley 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 hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the establishment of fresh rentcharges post 1977.

Previous 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 extinguished.

A friend recommended that where I am purchasing in Ruxley I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

This is a search is usually quoted for as part of the standard Ruxley conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Ruxley around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Ruxley Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Ruxley Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Ruxley.

The deeds to our home can not be found. The solicitors who handled the conveyancing in Ruxley years ago are no longer around. What are my options?

You no longer need to have the physical deeds to prove you own the land or property, given that the Land Registry have everything they need in a digital format.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Ruxley is where the house is located. Is there any advice you can give?

Flying freeholds in Ruxley are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Ruxley you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Ruxley may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

Is there a distinction between surveying and conveyancing in Ruxley?

Conveyancing - in Ruxley or elsewhere - is the process of legally transferring legal title of property from one person to another. It therefore includes the investigation of the title. Whether buying or selling, you should be aware of anything affecting the property such as proposals by government departments, illegal buildings, or outstanding rates. The conveyancer should conduct the appropriate searches and inquiries on the property. Surveying relates to the structure of a property itself. A surveyor will look at a house, flat and any outbuildings you’re buying and will help you find out about the condition of the building and, if there are problems, give you leverage for reducing the price down or asking the vendor to fix the defects prior to you complete your move.