Just contacted my conveyancing lawyer in Smithfield who conducted the legals two years ago requesting a conveyancing quote based on the same type of house move (a leasehold property and a freehold property) of almost identical values with a loan from . It looks as though am now being charged twice the amount. Should I look for an alternative property lawyer?

The estimate fees seem a little high. If you you were to look around you might get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by perhaps £100 plus VAT. That being said, assuming were pleased with the service the firm provided you maylive to regret opting for an an untested solicitor. If is important to check that the firm can also act for . Do employ our search tool to get a quote a Smithfield conveyancing firm on the member panel, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Smithfield.

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

It’s unusual for properties in Smithfield and has limited impact for conveyancing in Smithfield 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 creation of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

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

We are selling our flat in Smithfield. Does my need to be on the conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their specifications fairly frequently at the moment.

I have todaybecome aware that Action Conveyancing have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Smithfield for a purchase of a leasehold flat 10 months ago. How can I check that the property is registered correctly in the name of the former proprietor?

The easiest way to check if the premises is in your name, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Smithfield conveyancing specialists.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor flat in Smithfield. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, however I have recently received a yearly service charge invoice – Do I pay up?

It best that you pay the service charge as normal as all rents and service invoices will be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Smithfield - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

What is the service charge and ground rent on the flat? Does the lease contain onerous restrictions? The prefered form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this arrangement the lessees have control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is frequently employed where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders.