4. Completion Flashcards
What are the main tasks of the solicitors in the pre-completion stage?
- Preparation of the transfer deed
- Pre-completion searches
- Making practical arrangements for completion
- Ensuring the finances are in order for completion
Who prepares the transfer of deed document and when is it sent?
Who: buyer’s solicitor (unless seller’s solicitor included draft in contract bundle)
When: sent to seller at least 12 working days before the completion date
Who replies with enquiries to transfer of deed document and when?
Who: seller’s solicitor
When: within 4 working days of receiving
What are the requirements of a transfer being a deed?
To be a valid deed, it must:
- state it’s a deed
- be signed by parties
- be delivered
in order to transfer a legal estate in land.
What are the requirements of a deed transfer in registered land?
must comply with HMLR requirements and Form TR1
What are the requirements of a deed transfer in unregistered land?
- No prescribed conveyance exists.
- buyer and seller will agree wording to reflect the terms of the contract.
What are the requirements on a valid deed being signed by parties?
- Seller must always sign the transfer.
- Buyer signs where it contains a covenant or declaration on the buyer’s behalf.
The seller aiways needs to sign the transtet, but the buyer only needs to sign in certin sitations.
Therelevant reasons why the buyers need to sign on this occasion is that they will make a declaration of trust (as they will be co-owners) and give an indemnity covenant in the transfer (to continue the chain of indemnities).
Where are plans attached in a form of transfer of deed?
Any plans should be attached to the transfer or conveyance and must be signed.
What are the formalities for an individual to validly execute a deed?
Instrument must be:
- signed by the individual
- in the presence of a witness who attests signature
- be delivered as a deed.
What are the formalities for companies to validly execute a deed?
Execute a document (including a deed) by:
- affixing its common seal
- by signatures of: two authorised signatories OR one director and witness.
two directors sign, or a director and the company secretary sign
What are the formalities for witness requirements to validly execute a deed?
- party to the deed cannot witness
- no prohibition on spouse, co-habitee, or civil partner witnessing.
- independent witnessing to avoid bias
- only individuals can witness, not companies.
- employee or director can witness
- solicitor or any advisor on the matter can witness
When must pre-completion searches be conducted?
When: as close as possible to completion date
Why: to ensure that 1) info from pre-exchange searches is still correct and identify any changes + 2) no further encumbrances to title by seller.
Why must pre-completion searches be conducted?
To ensure:
1) info from pre-exchange searches is still correct and identify any changes
2) no further encumbrances to title by seller
3) financial circumstances of borrower when acting for lender
4) no liquidation if seller is a company.
What are pre-completion searches for unregistered land and the priority period?
Land charges department search - form K15 results on K18
Priority period: 15 working days from K18
Who is a land charges department search made against and what is the fee?
Search against: owner’s names (seller) for period of ownership
Fee: one for each name stated.
What are pre-completion searches for registered land and the priority period?
Land registry: OS1 (sale of whole) OR OS2 (sale of part) - results on OSR1 or OSR2
Priority period: 30 working days from date of result
Who is a land charges department search made against and what is the fee?
Search against: title number
Fee: standard fee for each search
What is the procedure for checking for buyer’s solvency on behalf of lender in Registered Land?
Bankruptcy only searched K16 carried out against the name of the buyer.
What are the limitations to checking for buyer’s solvency on behalf of lender?
K16 limits the search to the bankruptcy register at the Land Charges Department, no access to other registers.
What is the procedure for checking for buyer’s solvency on behalf of lender in Unregistered Land?
A Land Charges department search would have already been made, name of the buyer will be added to K15 for an extra fee.
What pre-completion searches are conducted if the buyer/seller is a company the priority period?
A company search at companies house to reveal:
* solvency status
* any fixed or floating charges created
NO priority period, carred out as close as posisble to completion to reveal latest information.
What additional pre-completion searches can conducted if the buyer/seller is a company and the transaction is of high value or there is reason for concern of solvency?
A telephon search at the Registry of Winding Up Petitions at Companies Court
When: on the day of completion
When will a local search to need to be repeated pre-completion and what is the priority period?
If more than three months have pissed since exchange
There is no priority period.
What is the effect of conferring a priority period in pre-completion searches ?
Provides protection to the applicant against any subsequent entries which may be placed on the register after the date of the search but before the buyer is registered as proprietor.
Provided that the application is submitted for registration by 12 noon on the last day of the priority period.
How is an OS1/OS2 search affected if the buyer is financing with aid of mortgage?
Application for a Land Registry search should be in the name of the lender - if made on behalf of buyer lender will not be protected.