I purchased a freehold premises in Johnstown but still charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Johnstown and has limited impact for conveyancing in Johnstown 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 fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 is to be extinguished.

Just had an offer accepted on a new build flat in Johnstown. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.

Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Johnstown

Please provide evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £235,500 and found one round the corner in Johnstown I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Johnstown for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?

If you require a home loan that many years will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

How do I identify a Johnstown solicitor on the Coventry Building Society conveyancing panel? I have wheels and am prepared to travel upto 10miles to meet the solicitor.

You can use the tool on this page. Please choose the bank and your location and you will see a number of Johnstown conveyancing lawyers located nearest you. We have detailed some Johnstown conveyancing firms at the bottom of this page and you can contact them to verify whether they are on the Coventry Building Society approved list

I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed flat in Johnstown. Conveyancing has not commenced, but I have recently received a half-yearly service charge demand – what should I do?

It best that you clear the service charge as normal given that all rents and service invoices will be allotted on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies 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.

Johnstown Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries Prior to buying

This question is useful as a) areas could result in problems in the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where maintenance are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the managing agents you will wish to have all the details Many Johnstown leasehold flats will incur a service charge for maintenance of the building set on behalf of the landlord. Where you buy the flat you will have to pay this contribution, usually quarterly throughout the year. This could be anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built buildings. There will also be a rentcharge to be met annual, normally this is not a large amount, say approximately £25-£75 but you need to check as sometimes it can be prohibitively expensive. Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge liability?