Purchasing a Garage

[Gareth Carr]

I am about to buy a house which has no garage. The owner of the house has one in a block. He has said I can buy it from him for �2000.00. I have made checks with the Land Registry and he is the registered owner, so I know he is OK to sell it to me. I have completed a TR1 form off the internet along with an AP1. Is there any thing else I need to do before handing over the hard cash? Should I really use a solicitor and not medal with this? When I spoke to the Inland Revenue they said there could be a tax form I need to complete from them? Any ideas? Your comments would be much appreciated

[Toffee]

You need to complete a Stamp Duty Land Tax form.

[rekstout]

I would really recommend you use a conveyancing specilaist - for the sake of a couple of hundred quid you can then rest assured that the sale is legal and that the building is legal and that there are no covenants on the garage that would restrict you in any way. You will definitely need a contract of sale anyway which you do not appear to have. If you are buying a house anyway you might be able to cut a deal with our solicitor to get the garage done for a reduced fee.

[Maude]

You are perfectly safe with TR1 and AP1, and you do not in any way need a solicitor or conveyancer. As I type this I cannot bring to mind the number of the form that you require from the Revenue, but phone [phone] and speak to Option 3 who will tell you which one it is, then speak to Option 1 with the form number and they will send it to you. You should obtain a receipt from the Vendor by printing off a copy of The Plan and then typing on it "Received from (yourself) the sum of �whatever in cash/by cheque being the purchase price for the sale to him of the freehold land coloured red on the plan below all as the Land Registry Form TR 1 signed by me" and provide a space for the Vendor to sign and date. If the Vendor is a Ltd company alter "signed" to "signed and sealed" and have the company seal impressed on the plan.

[Maude]

PS. I should have included that at the time of payment as well as a signature upon the receipt you must (very importantly) obtain from the Vendor his Land Certificate for the garage. You must send this in with the Land Registry forms, and after 5/6 weeks you will receive a new Certificate from the LR with you as sole proprietor.