I purchased a freehold property in Cumbria yet invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in Cumbria and has limited impact for conveyancing in Cumbria 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 hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.
Old rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 will be extinguished.
My Solicitor in Cumbria has never been on on the Britannia Approved Panel. Can I still use my prefered solicitor even though they are not on the Britannia panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?
The limited options available to you here include:
- Complete the purchase with your existing Cumbria lawyers but Britannia will need to instruct a solicitor on their list of acceptable firms. This will result in additional total conveyancing fees and cause frustration.
- Choose a new practitioner to to deal with the conveyancing, obviously checking they are Persuade your conveyancer to do everything within their powers to join the Britannia conveyancing panel
How can we know in advance if a Cumbria conveyancing solicitor on the Yorkshire BS panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Cumbria seeking recommendations is a good starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always advise that you speak with the lawyer handling your conveyancing.
My wife and I are in the process of looking at apartments in Cumbria and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it sensible to have a property lawyer on ‘stand by’? I am planning to take a mortgage with Principality.
You should start obtaining conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the estate agent. As you are seeking a mortgage with Principality, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Principality conveyancing panel.
My offer was accepted on a house in Cumbria on 2/10/2025, valuation was booked 3 days after, all came back fine. Conveyancer appointed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Yorkshire BS and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Yorkshire BS to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Do I need to pay for insurance to protect me from financial exposure to chancel repairs when purchasing a house in Cumbria?
Unless a prior purchase of the house took place after 12 October 2013 you may expect solicitors handling conveyancing in Cumbria to continue to suggest a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what should have been a quick, no chain conveyancing. Cumbria is where the house is located. Can you offer any opinion?
Flying freeholds in Cumbria are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Cumbria you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Cumbria may ascertain 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.