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

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

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

We are expecting a mortgage offer soon. The bank mentioned the mortgage came with free conveyancing. Is the implication that I have to use their panel solicitor as I would much rather appoint a Timsbury based conveyancing firm?

Do check but the chances are that appoint one of their panel lawyers if you accept the "fee-free" offer. Contact the bank and ask if they offer you a monetary alternative. In the past a few lenders offered a £250 cashback as an alternative in which case that money can go towards your preferred conveyancing solicitor near Timsbury.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Timsbury?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Timsbury. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I'm purchasing my first flat in Timsbury benefiting from help to buy. The sellers refused to budge the price so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The house builders rep told me not inform my conveyancer about the extras as it could jeopardize my loan with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I’m about to sell my 2 bed apartment in Timsbury. Conveyancing has not commenced, but I have recently had a yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is discharge the service charge as usual given that all rents and service payments should be apportioned on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until 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.

I bought a garden flat in Timsbury, conveyancing was carried out 1995. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding flats in Timsbury with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 50

With just 50 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £36,100 and £41,800 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.