Stage 5: replying to enquiries

There seem to be two types of buyer’s solicitors: those who ask the seller’s solicitors to answer standard commercial enquiries, however irrelevant they are to the particular transaction, and those who raise their own enquiries ensuring they are relevant and purposeful. Similarly, there seem to be two types of seller’s solicitors: those who go through the enquiries with the...
read more

Searches – what are they all about?

Lawyers often talk about “the searches”, but what do they mean? The main search is the “local search” – strictly, a search in the register of local land charges maintained by the local district or borough council (or unitary authority), combined with a range of enquiries raised with that council, all in relation to the property being searched against – not in...
read more

Stage 3: Checking the paperwork

This is where the Buyer’s solicitor can get his (or her) teeth into things: going through the lease (if the pub is leasehold) and the other title documents, checking for defects or problems, raising enquiries about any problems as well as a wide range of other enquiries about the property and the business, and reporting to the Buyer on what is found. It is important that the Buyer and the...
read more

Long time, no blogging!

Things have been pretty hectic recently, so I haven’t had a chance to post any blog messages I hope to catch up a bit at the weekend Meanwhile, I visited the Bull in Sissinghurst yesterday evening. The new owners have spruced it up nicely, there is a good, friendly, busy atmosphere and the food is of very good quality and well-priced: whitebait followed by lamb cutlets at £8.95 is hard to...
read more

Stage 2: draft contract

If the seller has prep’d his or her solicitor, so that the solicitor has the relevant title documents, getting a draft contract out to the buyer’s solicitor should not be a lengthy process or involve any delay. Selling a single pub is much like selling any other small business, except for the need to deal with the transfer of the premises licence and the fact that the inventory is...
read more

Mexican stand-off (or: It’s good to talk)

There should be no problems with stage 1 of the sale and purchase procedure: it should be a simple matter for the selling agents to contact the buyer’s and seller’s solicitors with details of the transaction – what can possibly go wrong? Assuming that the agent does not have a “senior moment” and simply forget to contact the solicitors – not unknown, for a...
read more


Latest company update from Nelsons

Read now
X myStickymenu