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

It is rare for properties in Accrington and has limited impact for conveyancing in Accrington 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 have existed for many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation 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 is to be extinguished.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and identified one close by in Accrington I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Accrington in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.

In my capacity as executor for the will of my grandmother I am disposing of a house in Newport but reside in Accrington. My solicitor (who is 200 kilometers awayneeds me to sign a stat dec prior to completion. Can you recommend a conveyancing solicitor in Accrington to attest and place their company stamp on the document?

Technically speaking you are not likely to need to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or qualified solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are located in Accrington

I would like to rent out my leasehold apartment in Accrington. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

Your lease dictates relations between the landlord and you the leaseholder; in particular, it will set out if subletting is not allowed, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The rule is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. Most leases in Accrington do not contain subletting altogether – such a clause would adversely affect the market value the property. In most cases there is simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a copy of the tenancy agreement.

I purchased a 1st floor flat in Accrington, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2005. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Accrington with over 90 years remaining are worth £195,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease terminates on 21st October 2090

With 64 years unexpired the likely cost is going to be between £14,300 and £16,400 plus legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues 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 getting professional advice.

Me and my partner are buying a 2 room housein Accrington with a loan from a mortgage company. We have a solicitor in Accrington however our mortgage company says she’s not approved on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the our lender panel solicitors or stay with our Accrington solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to represent our bank. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. The bank mortgage issued is subject to conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender's conveyancing panel. in the past, most banks had open panels, including many conveyancing solicitors in Accrington : a mortgagee could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for your mortgage company.