The contract and exchange Flashcards
Will a lender have the same leeway as a buyer in accepting (title) risks?
No - lender’s only interest is whether property has sufficient value/marketability to repay loan - little leeway in accepting risk
How can a solicitor act for both buyer and lender in residential transactions without there being a conflict of interest?
- They have a substantially common interest: want property that is worth what buyer has paid, is suitable for purpose and easy to (repossess and) sell
- High street lenders usually have non-negotiable mortgage terms and prescribed documents
No conflict!
Will lenders and buyers in commercial transactions also have a substantially common interest?
No! Much more negotiation
What will the lender’s solicitor request about enquiries?
Specify what (additional) enquiries and searches are needed (and ask copies from buyer’s solicitor)
What documents will be drafted by the lender’s solicitor?
- The legal charge/other security documents
- The certificate of title (unless buyer’s solicitor is asked to provide it)
What is the difference between a mortgage offer and facility letter?
- Mortgage offer = formal offer by lender to lend (subject to satisfaction w property)
- Facility letter = (roughly) commercial equivalent of a mortgage offer; sets out T&Cs of loan
Facility for commercial because companies provide facilities
What does the legal charge (/mortgage deed) do? Where is it registered?
- Creates the security interest giving lender the right to repossess
- Registered at LR
What is the certificate of title?
The document in which a solicitor certifies that title to the property is satisfactory for lending purposes
What is the difference between report on title and certificate of title in terms of…
- Format
- Who drafts it
- Who it is sent to
- Timing
- COT is in standard form (ROT not)
- Both drafted by buyer’s solicitor (COT can be drafted by lender’s)
- ROT sent to buyer client, COT sent to lender’s solicitor
- ROT sent before exchange, COT sent before completion (but usually agreed before exchange)
As the format of a certificate of title has a set format, what is the industry standard?
City of London Law Society (CLLS) Certificate of Title
How is the CCLS Certificate of Title laid out? How is this completed by solicitor?
As a series of statements that would be given if property title is in perfect order - solicitor completes by giving disclosure after a statement if it is incorrect
Example: Paragraph 3.2 of Schedule 3 states that the land abuts publicly adopted highway. If right of way is across private land, then a disclosure to this effect would need to appear beneath that statement
What can a lender do if there are any material errors or omissions in a certificate of title (post-completion)?
Sue the solicitor (as they rely on the solicitor’s certificate)
What are the requirements for a contract for land? What can such a contract not do?
- Be in writing, incorporate all terms which parties expressly agree, be signed by/on behalf of each party to contract
- Cannot transfer land as it is not a deed
Why use a property contract if it cannot transfer land? When is it unnecessary to use?
- Fix completion date
- Tie related transactions (e.g. using money to buy another property)
- Set out related obligations (e.g. buying furniture)
- Include conditions (e.g. obtain planning permission)
Unnecessary for gift of property or land of low value
What does the standard contract for a residential and commercial transaction incorporate?
- Standard for residential transactions = Standard Conditions of Sale (SCS)
- Standard for commercial transactions = Standard Commercial Property Conditions (SCPC)
SCPC covers more detail on areas of relevance to commercial property, such as taxation and occupational leases
Will commercial transactions always use the SCPC?
No - contracts can be tailor-made (i.e. firm’s precedent bank, Practical Law etc.) and will incorporate and amend as required the SCPC
They may be weighted in favour of the seller in the expectation that the buyer’s solicitor will negotiate the terms
Will SCS always be used for residential transactions?
If parties are adopting the Law Society Conveyancing Protocol, it is obligatory
How are special conditions used? Are they included in the standard form?
- SCS can be amended, excluded or supplemented with special conditions
- Standard form includes some special conditions with tick boxes; can be chosen as appropriate
e.g. the Standard Conditions of Sale state that a 10% deposit is payable on exchange. If the parties agree that only 5% is payable, then an appropriate special condition should be drafted to allow for this
If the seller’s solicitor is following the Law Society Conveyancing Protocol, can they add other special conditions aside from those check-able in the standard form?
Only if they are absolutely necessary for the purposes of the transaction
What conditions will be included in a contract?
- Specified incumbrances
- Title guarantee
- Completion date (and time)
- Contract rate
- Deposit
- Value Added Tax (VAT)
- Risk and insurance
- Indemnity covenant
Recall - despite caveat emptor, what 2 things must the seller disclose and what are these?
- Latent incumbrances - rights burdening the property not apparent on inspection (covenants, easements etc.)
- Defects in title - issues casting doubt on seller’s ownership e.g. deed containing covenants has been lost
Which encumbrances does the SCS/SCPC set out which the seller need not disclose?
Amend the duty of the seller
- those specified in the contract
- those discoverable by inspection of the property before the date of this contract
- those the seller does not and could not reasonably know about
Next card is more important…
What is the difference between SCS and SCPC in terms of what the seller needs to disclose?
How is the onus different?
- SCS = seller needs to disclose any encumbrances registered at LR, Land Charges Registry (for unreg land) and Companies House
- SCPC = buyer deemed to buy property subject to any encumbrances which would be revealed by a prudent buyer’s search and enquiries
I.e. commercial - onus on buyer to carry out relevant enquiries/searches
What 2 types of title guarantee can the seller offer, either of which will confirm seller has right to property? What do they mean and when will each be given?
Exception to caveat emptor!
- Limited title guarantee - means no encumbrances have been created over property during seller’s period of ownership - may be given by sellers with little knowledge of property (e.g. executor)
- Full title guarantee - means property free of all encumbrances other than those disclosed in contract and those it did not and could not have reasonably known about
Which title guarantee is the default in SCS and SCPC?
Full title guarantee
What does it mean if the seller gives no title guarantee?
The seller does not guarantee the seller’s right to sell or that property is free of encumbrances - buyer has no remedy against seller if a title issue arises after completion
Administrator/liquidator selling property may offer no title guarantee
What is the completion date and time under the SCS and SCPC?
- Completion date = 20 days after date of contract (but rarely used and parties usually fix themselves)
- Time = 2pm; so money must be received by seller’s solicitor before 2pm
With regards to time, what should the buyer’s solicitor do if the buyer is using money from related sale to buy property?
Ensure there is sufficient time to receive/forward funds
Example: Buyer is buying a house for £150,000, with £100,000 to come from the sale of Buyer’s flat. If the contract for the sale of the flat has a completion time of 2 pm, then the contract for the purchase of the house should be at least 2.30 pm, or preferably 3 pm.
What is the standard position on essence of time with both SCS and SCPC and what does it mean?
SCS and SCPC both state that ‘time is not of the essence until a notice to complete is served’
When ‘time is not of the essence until a notice to complete is served’, what can the non-defaulting party do if the defaulting party fails to complete by the specified completion date and time?
Claim damages for breach, but not yet walk away from transaction
Where the party serves a notice to complete, making time of the essence, what must happen?
Contract must be performed by specified time otherwise non-defaulting party can walk away from contract and claim damages for breach
What deposit is required by both SCS and SCPC on exchange of contracts? Must it be this?
10% - but can be varied by special condition
If parties agree lower deposit than 10%, what is the effect if the buyer does not complete on time and seller serves a notice to complete?
Buyer must immediately pay balance of 10% deposit (unless amended by special condition)
Must the deposit always be paid electronically? Can it be paid directly from buyer?
- SCS - either cheque from buyer’s solicitor’s client account or electronically
- SCPC - must be electronically
What is the difference between the seller’s solicitor holding the deposit as stakeholder and agent? What is the position of the SCPC?
- Stakeholder (SCS and SCPC) - seller’s solicitor keeps deposit and does not pay to seller until completion
- Agent - seller can demand deposit immediately after exchange
What happens if the seller’s solicitor is holding as stakeholder but the deposit is needed for a related transaction in a residential sale?
SCS provides that all/part of deposit can be used for deposit on that transaction and remainder will be held by stakeholder
Is VAT considered with residential property?
Usually will be an exempt supply/zero-rated supply so no VAT is payable by buyer
SCS - purchase price inclusive of VAT
What is the position of SCPC on VAT?
Property is a standard rated supply = VAT payable at normal rate (20%) on top of purchase price
Subject to exceptions