At first glance, selling a piece of commercial land for £500,000 should have been a straightforward transaction. But as we often remind our clients – especially those with larger or long-held properties – there can be more going on behind the scenes than first meets the eye.
In this case, the land in question turned out to be split across six separate title deeds. Five of these were in order, but one title was still registered in the name of a previous owner. That small detail could have caused a major delay, or even derailed the sale, if not handled with care.
To keep things moving, we structured the deal creatively:
- An unconditional contract covered the first five titles.
- A conditional contract was drawn up for the sixth title, pending adverse possession registration.
So, what should have been a single contract and transfer became a complex set of arrangements:
- One unconditional contract
- One conditional contract
- Two separate transfers
- Plus Land Registry applications to secure proper ownership of the title
This level of complexity isn’t uncommon in commercial transactions, particularly where land has been owned for many years, passed through different hands, or not reviewed in detail until it’s time to sell.
At Oliver & Co, we pride ourselves on navigating challenges like these with clarity and confidence. We work closely with our clients to find solutions that work – no matter how complex the path may be.
Selling Commercial Land?
Whether your transaction (sale, purchase or other) is straightforward or full of surprises, we have the expertise to guide you. Get in touch with our commercial property team by completing this enquiry form and one of our team will be in touch —we’d be happy to help.
