Completion Flashcards
Summary of completion
What must a buyer’s solicitor do before completion?
- Draft transfer deed for seller’s solicitor’s approval and then arrange for buyer to sign it if it contains indemnity covenants (or any other obligation on part of buyer)
- Send requisitions on title to seller’s solicitor
- Carry out relevant pre-completion searches
- Send certificate of title to lender and request loan advance in time for completion
- Send buyer statement of money needed to complete purchase
- SDLT form approved by client
What must a seller’s solicitor do before completion?
- Approve transfer deed drafted by buyer’s solicitor
- Arrange for transfer to be executed by seller
- Reply to requisitions on title
- Request redemption statement from seller’s lender (if any)
- In residential sale, ask seller/agent to take final meter readings
Who drafts the transfer deed?
- Default position in SCS and SCPC = seller’s solicitor drafts contract and buyer’s solicitor drafts transfer deed
- More common for seller’s solicitor to draft both at same time
buyer drafts transfer deed (backwards letter)
What must the form of the transfer of land take?
Deed
What is the most common LR form to be used? Must it be different for unregistered land?
LR forms must be used for registered land
TR1 to transfer whole of freehold or leasehold title - can be used for both reg and unreg land
When would a TP1 or TR5 be used?
- TP1 = transfer of only part of reg title
- TR5 = transfer of portfolio of reg (and maybe unreg) titles
TP1 = Part
TR5 = 5 looks like S = plural = multiple titles = portfolio
Why would a conveyance be used?
Where only part of the property is being sold
Can unregistered title still be transferred in the form of conveyance?
Ues - but in practice will use TR1
What are the 12 panels in the TR1?
- Title number
- Property
- Date
- Transferor(s)
- Transferee(s)
- Address for service
- Transfer wording
- Consideration
- Title guarantee
- Declaration of trust
- Additional provisions
- Execution
What is put in the title number panel for unregistered proprerty?
Nothing - left blank
What information is included in the ‘property’ panel?
Brief description - for most will be addresses from official copies or root of title
What is the effect of entering the date on the TR1?
Will complete the deed; so left blank until then
Will be handwritten on completion
When completing the ‘transferor(s)’ panel, what is the case for…
1. Seller’s name different from when they bought the property (e.g. marriage)
2. Second T appointed for a sole surviving tenant in common
3. Transferor is a company
- Marriage certificate provided
- Their details (and death certificate for deceased)
- Registered number
What is the maximum amount of names for the ‘transferee(s)’ section?
4 people/companies
In the ‘address for service’ panel, what is used for the buyer’s address?
The address of the bought property, not the pre-completion address like in contract!
Can the wording in the ‘transfer wording’ tile be amended?
No - it operates to transfer title
What are the 3 tick boxes under the ‘consideration’ panel?
- Sum of money
- No monetary considration (gift, existing Ts to new Ts)
- Other receipts (swapping properties, paying off debt)
Must the ‘declaration of trust’ panel always be filled out?
Can be skipped if both legal and beneficial title being transferred to a sole transferee
Otherwise used to indicate whether transferees hold as beneficial joint tenants or tenants in common (or holding on unequal shares, etc.)
What might be included in the ‘additional provisions’ panel?
- Indemnity covenant for positive covenants
- New covenants and easements (more common for transfers of part)
- Appointment of second T (where transferor is a sole surviving tenant in common)
What clause is included in the ‘execution’ panel and what does it do?
Attestation clause(s) - allow parties to execute TR1 as a deed
In what circumstances will transferees execute the TR1?
Transferor always will
If transferees…
- are tenants in common or
- agree to hold property on trust for someone else, or
- are providing an indemnity covenant or other obligation (e.g. easement, restrictive covenant etc.)
Where a TP1 - transfer of part of transferor’s title - is used, how is the part identified?
With a plan (panel 3) attached to the TR1
‘Additional provisions’ panel 12 (like panel 11 in TR1) provides appropriate headings like “Rights granted for the benefit of the property” and “Rights reserved for the benefit of other land”.
Where a TR5 - transfer of portfolio titles - is used, what is the main difference?
Panel 1 contains a table where a number of properties and their title numbers (if registered) can be set out.
Example: Nicholson Hotels Limited want to transfer 50 hotels to a property holding company. The TR5 would be used, and the description and title number of each hotel included in Panel 1.
How does an individual execute a transfer deed? When will it be considered delivered (come into effect)?
- Signs transfer in presence of independent witness who also signs (and prints full name and address)
- Transfer considered delivered when it is dated (usually by transferor’s solicitor)
NB this covers ‘signed’ and ‘delivered’ requirements for a deed, ‘intended to be a deed’ is covered by the TR1 itself
What are the different options a company has in executing the transfer deed?
- Company seal attached and signed by two directors/one director and the company secretary
- No company seal but signed by two directors/one director and the company secretary
- Signed by one company director and witnessed by an independent witness
- Signed by a senior employee (not a director/company secretary) who is authorised under a power of attorney
Agreeing and executing transfer deed summary
What is the difference between pre-exchange and pre-completion searches?
- Pre-exchange = part of investigation of property and seek matters that may deter buyer from exchange
- Pre-completion = to check and protect buyer’s (and lender’s) ability to obtain title to property as per contract
Would issues arising from pre-completion searchs not just be breaches of contract anyway?
Yes - but still better to identify these at pre-completion than rely on ability to sue after
For registered and unregistered land, what pre-completion search form will be used against what and what will this do?
- Registered = OS1 (OS2 for part of land) at LR against title number - updates official copies initially provided and identifies any changes that have been made
- Unregistered = K15 Land Charges search - identifies any encumbrances or other adverse matters registered against owner/seller of unregistered land
NB ‘part’ can mean a leasehold flat/a house as part of a development
What priority period will a pre-completion search on registered and unregistered land confer from when and what is the benefit of registering a transfer with the Land Registry within this period?
- Reg = 30 working days from search result, unreg = 15 working days from search result
- Benefit = buyer’s transfer will take priority over any other applications even if lodged before buyer’s transfer
When using an OS1 search, what date is provided by buyer’s solicitor to LR?
The date which the official copies are dated - it is from this date that the search is run
If nothing changed = search comes back clear (otherwise updated official copies are sent to searcher)
- buyer’s solicitor is lodging an OS1 search on 1 June, ready for a completion date of 5 June.
- buyer’s solicitors official copies are dated 10 February, so the buyer’s solicitor will use this as the ‘search from’ date for the search.
- search comes back clear (ie, with no changes since that date) and priority of 30 working days from 1 June. As long as the buyer’s solicitor applies for registration within this period, the buyer’s transfer takes priority over any intervening applications.
What does the SCS/SCPC provide for changes to the official copies originally provided?
The seller should disclose any adverse issues that may have resulted in changes to official copies - if they do not the buyer may have a claim for breach of contract/misrepresentation
Why can’t buyer’s solicitor rely on the misrepresentation/breach of contract claim?
After seller has not disclosed changes to official copies
If registration not protected by LR, will cost time/money to put any entry right and would be clear professional negligence on conveyancing solicitor
Majority of cases search clear, but not worth risk
- where the buyer’s solicitor carried out an OS1 search on 1 June, completion takes place as scheduled on 5 June.
- In the meantime, however, the seller has dishonestly applied to remortgage the property with a new lender.
- If the new lender’s solicitor applies to register a charge against the property on 7 June, the Land Registry will advise that there is a prior application, ie, the buyer’s transfer; only if the buyer fails to register within the priority period will the lender’s solicitor be able to register the charge.
Would a lender’s solicitor take out their own OS1 search?
Yes, and where that shows that there is an intended sale, the lender’s solicitor would refuse to complete the mortgage (but if buyer had not carried out priority search, new lender’s charge would take priority and buyer would not be able to register transfer!)
As in title investigation of unregistered land, where land charge search is carried out against all owners in a chain of title, must the land charge searches be updated against the previous owners?
Recall chain of title = root of title + subsequent deeds (only previous if they contain covenants/easements referred to in root of title)
No - entries that may affect them after their priod of ownership are not relevant to the property
The land charges search against the seller, however, should be carried out just before completion to give a sufficient priority period to lodge the application for first registration
When must a solicitor carry out a bankruptcy search (Form K16) against the buyer and what priority period does this confer?
- When acting for buyer and lender (to protect lender)
- Confers period of 15 working days
When will a company search be carried out and for whom (and why)? What priority period does this confer?
- Where buyer is a company to check no pending insolvency or crystallisation of a floating charge (for the lender)
- No priority period - so carry out as late as possible and updated as necessary
If the seller is a company, who should carry out a company search and when? Is there a priority period here?
- The buyer’s solicitor immediately before completion
- No priority period here
What are requisitions on title?
Questions the buyer’s solicitor needs answering before completion
Basically just ironing out some final things
(Like pre-completion searches are much simpler than pre-exchange searches) Requisitions on title are similar but much simpler than pre-exchange enquiries
What are the forms for residential and commercial requisitions on title?
- Residential - Law Society TA13 (‘Completion information and undertakings’)
- Commercial - firm’s precedent form or CSPE form SCR (solicitor’s completion requirements)
TA13 - unlucky because you have to answer even more questions
When must replies to the buyer’s solicitor from the seller’s solicitor to the TA13 be provided?
At least 5 working days before completion
This is part of the Law Society Code for Completion by Post
What are the 5 parts of a TA13?
- Vacant possession
- Deeds and documents
- Completion
- Money
- Mortgages and charges
TA13 similar in content to commercial one
In a TA13, what will be asked regarding vacant possession?
- Arrangement for collecting keys
- Authority for tenant to pay rent to buyer after completion (where a rent-paying tenant)
What will be asked about deeds and documents in a TA13?
Will ask for list of deeds and documents to be sent on completion for unregistered property
What will be asked about completion in a TA13?
If it will take place according to Law Society’s Code for Completion by Post