Trainee Legal Executive, Melissa Roberts of Gamlins Law, was instructed to act on behalf of Mr and Mrs F who purchased a Property in 2013 at an agreed price of £150,000. They were then advised in 2024 that they did not legally own the property due to the negligence caused by a different law firm 11 years ago.
When Mr and Mrs F went to sell on the property in 2024 they were advised that the Property was not registered at HM Land Registry and as such there was a question mark as to their ownership of the house.
Mr and Mrs F carried out research online and soon realised that their previous solicitor had been struck off due to serious breaches of his professional duties. It was apparent that the solicitor had failed to register their property on completion of their purchase in 2013.
After several months of making enquiries with the SRA, the original deeds for the property were recovered. There was also doubt as to whether Stamp Duty Land Tax return had been submitted in 2013 and Mr and Mrs F were extremely concerned about the financial implications of this.
It transpired that the house was still owned by the previous owners as the original solicitor had failed to properly execute the transfer deed and Melissa went about putting this right.
It was discovered that the previous sellers were acting as Attorneys for their father in 2013 and that he had since passed away. This meant that the house was still owned by his estate which was an added complication to resolve.
The situation was further complicated as the original seller’s name in his Last Will and Testament, Grant of Probate and the Conveyance differed.
Melissa prepared statements, declarations and a further application was made to HM Land Registry to register the Property, with success!
Finally the matter was resolved, the house was sold and Mr and Mrs F said:
“Melissa, thank you so much! We are delighted. You have worked tirelessly to resolve our complicated case, and we really appreciate all that you have done for us”:
Miss Roberts said: “No two days are the same at Gamlins Law. I am grateful for the opportunities to take on such complex cases and achieve successful outcomes. This case will have been one of the worst times of my clients’ lives, and I am pleased to have been able to make that difference so that they can enjoy a peaceful retirement”.
Melissa deals with all aspects of Conveyancing (i.e., first registrations, sales, purchases, transfers, re-mortgages, reconstruction of titles, redemptions, shared ownership, adverse possession claims and complex transactions). If you require legal assistance with any land transaction, please do not hesitate to contact Melissa.
