Client Compensated Because Solicitor Did Not Register An Option To Buy Land

Mr Brown signed a lease for the purchase of buildings and land, that included the option to buy an adjacent field at a fixed price in 12 months time. When this period had elapsed, Mr Brown attempted to enforce his option, but found that his solicitor had failed to register the option to buy with the Land Registry, and it was therefore unenforceable.

Mr Brown engaged us to handle a claim for compensation against his solicitor for financial losses, stemming from the fact that the adjacent land was intended to be purchased as part of a long-term project to develop the commercial viability of the property as a whole. The solicitor in question accepted that he had been negligent in this matter, by failing to register the option to buy, and Mr Brown received a considerable sum in damages.