Buying or Selling Commercial Property?
We’ll Guide You Through Every Step of the Process
Looking for expert legal guidance on your commercial property transaction? Our team is here to help every step of the way
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.
Commercial lettings
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.
Licensing
You might be buying a restaurant, a corner shop or garage. All have varied licensing requirements. As part of the property transaction 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.
Residential Lettings – Advice for landlords
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..
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.
Buying and Selling Property
We act in a wide variety of commercial property transactions including the purchase and sale of new build or existing properties and the acquisition and disposal/development of sites for residential or commercial development
Navigating Commercial Property Transactions with Ease
Tips on how to avoid Property Fraud and Email Hacking
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:
- If you receive the solicitor/conveyancer firm’s bank details by email, and don’t also receive the same details by post, phone the firm to make sure they are correct (using a verified landline telephone number).
- Do not send your bank details by email (to anyone), either phone them through or take them in.
- Make sure the firm acting for you is genuine by checking with the lists compiled by the Law Society or the Council for Licensed Conveyancers. Carry out a law firm search via the Solicitors Regulation Authority website.
- Read anything sent to you by your conveyancers carefully. Many firms provide clients with their bank details at the outset (by post) and stress that those details will not change. Always telephone to check if the bank details provided appear to have changed.
- If you are being pushed to proceed very quickly be careful, fraudsters often use this tactic so that emails are used and corners are cut.
- If you are buying an empty or tenanted property, tell your conveyancer and make sure they are 100% sure the seller is who they say they are.
- Ask the firm you are thinking of instructing what anti-fraud and cybercrime measures they have in place.
- Ask them what checks they carry out to ensure the buyers/sellers firm is genuine. Do they use services like Lawyer Checker/Lender Exchange/The Safe Move Scheme?
- If you have to send sensitive information by email do not give a clue to what that information might be in the email’s subject line.
- Test your conveyancers account details by sending a nominal amount, say between £1.00 and £10.00 first, and then phone to make sure it has arrived safely.
- Do not post any updates on social media as to the progress of your transaction – this is how some fraudsters identify when to send the scam email requesting your money.
- Working with your conveyancer is a two way street. No matter how good and safe they are, if you are not as vigilant you may end up having your emails hacked or becoming involved in property fraud.
- Above all, remember that buying or selling a property is one of the most important and complicated things you will ever do. Do not instruct the cheapest firm to act for you. Visit the firm if possible. Certainly speak to the person who will be handling your transaction (or the Head of Department or Team Leader) and make sure you feel confident in them and their ability.
Meet The Commercial Property Team
Richard Jones
Senior Partner & Head of Commercial/Residential
Kingsbridge: 01548 857000
Richard Jones
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.
