Australian-based expatriate successfully purchased flat in UK for investment purposes
The leasehold residential property chosen by Mr G and his wife was already tenanted, and the tenant was to remain in situ, with the new owners stepping into the role of landlord from their home in Australia. Transference of the tenancy agreement, security deposit and monthly rent would have to be addressed in the geographical absence of our clients.
What we did
Our responsibilities were to ensure Mr G and his wife's location abroad did not hamper our legal representation, and to ensure they received all relevant advice on the leasehold residential investment property they were purchasing, along with all procedural information relating to the existing tenant, and tenancy agreement.
All relevant information and advice was provided by email where appropriate, and by carefully-timed telephone calls. Documents requiring signatures were emailed then printed, with signed hard copies returned by courier.
The client's original identification also made a round-the-world trip safely, allowing us to comply with money laundering regulations. Australian bank accounts were produced by fax to ensure similar compliance. A speedy completion, as required by both seller and buyer, was successfully achieved.
How did it help?
Without the necessary deviation from our normal methods of communication, the transaction would not have proceeded at the speed required by both buyer and seller, and therefore may not have proceeded at all.
All relevant advice and information was with our clients on an almost-daily basis by email and voicemail, allowing the clients to be kept fully updated, even with the times/distances involved.
Scanning and email allowed us to provide bulky documentation to clients on the other side of the world instantaneously, with the clients digesting it overnight UK time. All sensitive documentation, such as the client's evidence of identification, was obtained from Australia, and returned safely, to the obvious satisfaction of our clients.
Case handler/fee earner
The case was dealt with by senior case handler Dawn Foster and conveyancer Ross Bird. Both deal with a wide range of residential conveyancing transactions, for a range of clients and work suppliers.
Comment on the case
This case was a great experience in the use of a range of communication methods, including email, telephones, voicemail, text messages, international post and global courier. At least one of these is used in every transaction, but rarely are they all used in a single case. Without any one method, the transaction would have been at risk.
