Commercial Repossession and Forfeiture Solicitors

We offer a free initial 30-minute consultation for site development matters. After that first conversation, we provide a clear fee estimate covering the legal work you need. We do not charge by the hour without a ceiling. You will know what things cost before we start work.

Site assembly is the process of bringing together multiple separate land parcels under a single ownership to create a development site. It involves separate acquisitions from different owners, often with distinct title issues, and requires careful coordination to ensure that one purchase does not complete without the others. We have experience managing site assembly transactions and will advise on structuring acquisitions to limit your exposure.

Under a conditional contract, both parties are legally bound to complete if the specified condition is met, typically the grant of planning permission. Under an option agreement, only the seller is bound; the buyer retains the right to choose whether to proceed. Which structure suits you depends on your bargaining position and the risk you are willing to carry. We advise on the right approach for each specific project.

Timescales vary considerably depending on the complexity of the title, the number of parties involved and whether planning conditions affect the transaction. A straightforward freehold acquisition can complete in six to eight weeks. Where there are multiple titles to assemble or contamination issues to resolve, the process takes longer. We give you a realistic estimate at the outset and keep you updated.

Yes. Restrictive covenants, rights of way and other third-party rights recorded against a title can prevent development or make it significantly more expensive. We investigate the title thoroughly before exchange and advise on the options: negotiating a release, obtaining indemnity insurance, or applying to the Upper Tribunal to discharge or modify the restriction.

Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 allows local planning authorities to require developers to make financial contributions or provide infrastructure as a condition of granting planning permission. These obligations run with the land and bind future owners. We advise on their scope, enforceability and negotiation where the proposed terms are disproportionate to the scale of the development.

An overage clause, sometimes called a clawback, requires the buyer of development land to pay the seller an additional sum if the land increases in value beyond an agreed threshold, typically because planning permission is granted for more units than were anticipated at sale. Landowners push for them; developers seek to limit them. We act on both sides and advise on what is reasonable in the current market.

An option agreement gives you the right to buy a piece of land at an agreed price or formula within a defined period, without committing you to buy immediately. They are common on development sites where the purchase only makes commercial sense if planning permission is granted. We can advise on the structure, negotiate the terms, and draft the agreement to protect your position throughout the option period.