Caleb’s conveyancing case reached completion

Caleb was a first-time buyer and made an offer on a property in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Caleb was a first-time buyer. He found the perfect property in Belfast and the offer he made was accepted. On the basis of a strong recommendation, Caleb decided to instruct Marie-Anne McVeigh of McCartan Turkington Breen as his conveyancing solicitor.

The property had belonged to someone that recently passed away. Unfortunately, the new owner did not yet have the Grant of Probate for the deceased owner’s estate. The issue was due to significant delays with HMRC. 

Unavoidable delays to the conveyancing process

As the owner could not legally sell the property without the Grant, the date of completion was delayed. This caused problems for Caleb as he was currently renting and his tenancy was due to terminate before we were able to complete the purchase. Unfortunately, he was unable to extend his tenancy. His only alternative was having to find very short-term accommodation at short notice as well as having to put all his belongings into storage, never mind the cat!

Caleb had nowhere to go

Caleb contacted Marie-Anne to explain this dilemma. She presented an alternative option that may have been a way of resolving the problem. After careful consideration of the pros and cons, both vendors and purchaser, following advice from their respective solicitors, agreed to proceed on the basis of a caretaker’s agreement. This allowed Caleb to take occupation of the property before formal completion.

A caretaker’s agreement is a right to occupy but is not the same as a tenancy agreement.  The terms of the caretaker’s agreement were carefully negotiated between the respective solicitors and Caleb was able to move into the property whilst we waited for HMRC to process what was required in order to allow the vendors’ solicitor to apply for the Grant of Probate.

We are expert conveyancing solicitors

This temporary agreement was of relief to Caleb. The prospect of expensive short-term accommodation, storage and moving multiple times was causing great stress. The additional costs involved would have cut into his savings that he had planned to spend on renovations.

“Marie-Anne and Sharon were extremely professional and supportive throughout the whole process of purchasing our first home. They answered all of our questions and addressed every concern promptly. An excellent service that I would highly recommend.“

Caleb

The Grant of Probate was issued three weeks into the caretaker agreement and we were then able to formally complete the purchase on Caleb’s behalf.

Our conveyancing department can assist you too

If you wish to buy or sell a property, our conveyancing solicitors are here to help. You can learn more about our services at Property & Conveyancing or Contact Us for a free, no commitment exploratory chat.