Any property transaction may involve complex legal factors but much more so when that property is a commercial one. Planning considerations, environmental liabilities, investment issues and the payment of tax on a transaction are all concerns if you are buying, leasing or selling commercial property.
With a thorough grasp of the detail of current property legislation, we’ll manage the process of your transaction seamlessly, supporting you, partnering you or leading the way.
We advise on acquisitions, disposals, commercial and residential site development, negotiating and reviewing leases and rent reviews.
Landlords are faced with an increasing burden of statutory compliance and tenants find themselves with greater rights and but also greater responsibilities. Our expertise includes acting for both landlords and tenants, providing advice on strategy and procedure from both perspectives. We cover all areas of leasehold management including lease renewals.
“The group at Beers LLP ‘always acts quickly’ and provides a ‘personal service’. Richard Jones heads the team”. The Legal 500, West Country, Commercial Property.
You might be buying a restaurant, a corner shop or garage. All have varied licensing requirements.
Working hand in hand with our Commercial Property team, our Licensing team will keep you on the right side of the law in this complex area of law. We can help with the grant and transfer or personal and premises licences to ensure that you comply with the relevant legislation. We can also assist in applications to vary existing licences to suit the changing needs of your business.
At Beers, we help people who have let their home, bought a property to let or who have bought or inherited a property with sitting tenants. We can assist in drawing up a wide range of tenancy agreements to protect you and and your property.
While a properly prepared tenancy agreement can prevent many problems, when difficulties do arise it is crucial that landlords get appropriate advice about landlords’ rights as swiftly as possible, especially as regards rent arrears policy, using the accelerated possession procedure or getting rent arrears paid.
A letter from a landlord’s solicitor can be enough to get a problem tenant to clear rent arrears and to avoid future arrears because of the threat of legal action. If it does not, enforcing your rights as a landlord at an early stage against problem tenants will result in regaining possession of your property and peace of mind.
Advice about tenants’ legal rights is basic and fundamental to ensuring access to affordable and secure housing.
Housing problems such as actual or threatened homelessness, rent arrears or disrepair can have a devastating effect on individuals and families. We recognise that as a tenant or leaseholder, a housing law issue may coincide with problems such as a loss of employment, ill health or disability.
Knowing your tenancy rights or duties and having appropriate legal help at these times can prevent the situation turning into a crisis. We will always act quickly and sympathetically on your behalf to prevent this.
Click here to go to the Law Society and download the Renting out Your Property leaflet »
Click here to go to the Law Society and download the Renting a Home Leaflet »
Moving home is said to be one of life’s most stressful challenges. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. With more than three quarters of UK homes owner-occupied, many of us will be buyers and sellers at some point in our lives.
We will ensure that you are aware of everything relevant to your property transaction and will carefully manage the process for you throughout.
If you are buying a property, we will ensure that everything is ready for your moving in date.
We will manage carefully the conveyancing process from the start, beginning with the best advice on which survey you may require before making your offer.
We will make sure that you clearly understand the financial position such as any deposit amount, specific mortgage conditions, stamp duty or freeholder notice fees which will affect the cost of buying and keeping your home.
Sell your house the FASTMOVE wayBeers belongs to FASTMOVE, an agreement between the leading firms in the South West with the aim of standardising paperwork thus speeding up the transaction for you.
If you are selling, we will keep that all important regular contact with the buyer’s solicitor and prepare the necessary property information forms and fixtures & fittings lists and arrange for preparation of the Energy Performance Certificate which will ensure that the transaction proceeds smoothly.
We can, if required, advise on any estate agent’s fees and check any agreements that they have asked you to sign.
Click here to go to the Law Society and download the Buying a Home Leaflet »
The legal community has been aware of these issues for some time now and the majority of firms drum it into their employees that no matter how safe the firm’s property firewalls/anti-virus or spam filters are, those of the public will probably be less so.
The Bold Legal Group has over 420 member firms throughout England and Wales and have been highlighting these issues to its members, on a regular basis, for the last year or two. They have a compiled a few pointers for the public:
After studying law at the University of Liverpool and completing his post-graduate year at the College of Law Chester, Richard qualified as a solicitor in 1996. He joined Beers LLP in 2005 and became Head of Property in 2007.
Richard deals with a wide range of high-value residential and commercial transactions, including sales and purchases, the grant and surrender of leases, agricultural land transactions, the grant of easements and complex development and leasehold enfranchisement matters.
Away from the office, Richard enjoys spending time with his wife, their 3 young children and their Dalmatian dog. He is a former professional sailor, an indifferent guitar player and an ever slower long distance runner.
Richard is a Fellow of the Agricultural Law Association and has previously been recommended in Chambers guide to the legal profession and the Legal500 for commercial property work.
After studying law at Exeter University and completing his post-graduate training there, Andy completed a Masters Degree and a higher Research Degree in Law (Restrictive Covenants).
He has over 20 years’ experience in private practice and a former partner in a law firm. Andy deals with a wide range of high-value residential and commercial transactions, including sales and purchases, the grant and surrender of leases, agricultural land transactions, the grant of easements and licenced trade sales and purchases together with liquor licensing matters.
Away from the office, Andy is keen legal historian and writes on a number of topics. He published his first book in 2006 on Restrictive Covenants and is about to complete his latest one on Victorian Legal History.
Donna studied law at Plymouth University and has worked locally for many years and has built a strong local network of connections. She continues her strong affiliation with the University by being part of their Mentoring Programme and is a Case Study for the Law School blog.
Donna has previous experience in Private Client work including Contentious Probate and is an Accredited GDPR Practitioner, but now specialises in Residential Conveyancing. As a result of Donna’s previous experience in other areas of law she is able to deal with all complex and non-complex matters including acting on behalf of Trustees of Trusts and Attorneys or Deputies in a proactive, swift manner but with a dash of sense of humour!
Donna is kept busy out of the office with her family and dogs (a third member of the team with Dachshunds !)
Carolyn has been a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives since 2012 and has specialised in residential conveyancing since 2016. She deals with a wide range of conveyancing matters including: New Build purchases; Equity loans; Transfers of Equity; Declarations of Trust as well as freehold and leasehold sales and purchases. Her career in law spans over 11 years and she has experience in a wide range of areas, including family law and litigation. Prior to that she held managerial roles in Administration. Her wide-ranging experience allows her to take a more holistic view to property transactions and advise clients accordingly.
Carolyn has a busy home life with her husband and four adult children which she has combined with her studies and work. Her experiences have enabled Carolyn to empathise with clients in stressful situations and assist them in a calm, measured way.
Jane joined us in March 2020 and is based in our Kingsbridge Office. Jane has a great deal of experience having worked in residential property for over 30 years. She has experience with sales and purchases of both freehold and leasehold properties, re-mortgages, transfers of equity and lease extensions. She appreciates that moving home can be a stressful experience and she endeavours to relieve that stress for her clients’ as much as possible by speaking in plain English the procedures that need to be followed.
In her spare time she loves walking on the Moors with her dachshund, and socialising with family and friends.
Kim moved to Devon in 1979 from North Yorkshire and worked for a local firm of Solicitors since 1985. Having had her own residential caseload since 1987. Kim qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2002 and became a Fellow in 2004.
Kim has been a Head of Residential Conveyancing in Totnes a Branch Manager in Bovey Tracey as well as working for local Solicitors in South Hams and Teignbridge for many years and is very experienced in dealing with buying, selling, remortgaging, transfer of equity, new builds, Freehold and Leasehold transactions.
Kim lives in Totnes with her family and assortment of pets including 2 sausage dogs and has become an active member of the dachshund community in South Devon.
Originally from Bristol, Wendy began working in residential property as an assistant within a busy Bristol law firm in 2000. After moving to Plymouth, she took a break from legal work to complete a B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing.
She then returned to work full time in residential conveyancing in legal practice in 2013. Wendy joined Beers in 2016 in the residential conveyancing department and works on all aspects of residential conveyancing, including freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, auction purchases and sales, remortgages, equity release schemes, help to buy matters and probate sales.
In her spare time, Wendy enjoys spending time with her family and keeping fit.
Helen is a fee earner in the residential property team and is currently studying to qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive, she is presently an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives having achieved this status in 2018. Helen has assisted with sales and purchases of freehold and leasehold properties and re-mortgages, but in 2018 established her own case load and now specialises in shared ownership matters.
Helen worked in the equine industry for some years before joining the legal profession and is keen to use her experience to help clients in that industry.
In her spare time Helen enjoys keeping fit and competing her own horse when she isn’t busy studying.
Elliot has a degree in Law from the University of Swansea and graduated with an Upper-Second Class honours.
While at University Elliot volunteered for the Miscarriage of Justice Project to help individuals get the help they needed and received a silver HEAR award for his contributions.
Elliot is currently undertaking the Legal Practice Course at the University of Law in Exeter.
