The title number is a unique number allocated to the property which is registered at the Land Registry. Upon contacting the Land Registry for details of a specific title number, this then shows all of the details the Land Registry hold in connection with that particular property. This is a standard entry within the Contract, unless the property is unregistered, in which case no title number will be available, and a root of title document will be required. See our page on unregistered land for more information. 

The Contract goes on to make reference to the ‘incumbrances affecting the property’. This, in effect, comprises the various covenants, stipulations and any other matters disclosed within the deeds and documents to the property, which have been disclosed to the buyer’s solicitor. 

Selling with full title guarantee means that you are selling the property with full knowledge of the same. On Completion, you are transferring to the buyers the same title that you hold, but are guaranteeing that you will be discharging all mortgages, secured debts and other liabilities. If you are selling the property as an Attorney, for example, you may be selling with limited knowledge of the property, therefore may not be able to provide responses to comprehensive enquiries, where requested. In such cases, the Contract would be drafted to reflect this and state ‘limited title guarantee’. 

The Contract Rate is a penalty clause, imposed on the buyers should they delay in completing the purchase, in the event that Exchange has taken place. Upon Exchange of Contracts, a Completion date is inputted within the Contract and is legally binding on all parties. On this date, you are legally bound to sell the property and hand over the keys. In return, the buyers are to ensure they have all necessary funds in place to allow them to Complete the purchase of the property.  

 

If, for any reason, the buyers are unable to Complete on the agreed and Exchanged date, they will not be entitled to the keys to the property. In addition, they are also obliged to pay interest at the Contract Rate on any money outstanding, which amounts to 4% over base rate of most of the clearing banks. 

 

In addition, if the buyers fail to pay the whole of the purchase monies, a Notice to Complete can be served. This requires them to pay the outstanding funds within ten working days. If they do not, then the seller is at liberty to terminate the Contract and are entitled to retain, as compensation, 10% of the purchase price. 

 

The buyers are normally asked to lodge a 10% deposit in the client account of their solicitor, in order to secure the Exchange. It is not always the case that the buyers are able to pay the 10%, particularly if, for example, the buyers are obtaining more than 90% of the purchase price by way of a mortgage or if the buyers are selling their own property, and are receiving less than 10% from their own buyer. The Contract does, however, provide that, in the event of default, the buyers are liable to the seller for the whole 10%. In any event, our solicitors in Preston would always check with the buyer’s solicitor as to whether the full 10% deposit is going to be available.  

 

At MG Legal, we advise our clients to carefully review the points of the Contract and, if satisfied with the same, to sign where indicated.  

 

It is important to note that, at the point of signing, the Contract is not legally binding and does not become legally binding until Exchange of Contracts has taken place. The Contract would, therefore be simply held on file, strictly to order, pending the agreement of dates for Exchange and Completion. Our conveyancing solicitors would never proceed to Exchanging without obtaining express authority to do so.