Solicitor error on deeds.

MaggieAnne01

Hi

Not sure how to progress with this problem,   help needed.

Set up a new company with a partner,  our first,    buy to let property,   we purchased our first property a one bedroom flat,   when I checked the register the property had been registered in my name and not the company name.

My solicitor has admitted the error, sent wrong details to the sellers solicitor.

My solicitor assured me that the error would be put right.

This was back in May 2024 now June 2025 and nothing has happened,  have spoken with my solicitor, emailed my solicitor,  but all I get back is  this message.

I have contacted the   seller’s solicitor to agree to amend the original transfer. I have contacted them again today and stressed the urgency""

I not sure where to go from here.

The property was purchased with funds from myself and my business partner.


My business partner is very anxious and I am to get this resolved.

Since the purchase of the flat stamp duty has gone up.

How should I proceed.

thank you for all in advance for your help in this matter.

Regards

Maggie

loubel

Have you made a complaint? If they knew that your company was buying then it's a pretty major error to buy the property in your name instead...

MeteredOut

Thinking of the implications of this, if the OP was planning on moving, they would strictly be a second-home owner and be liable for the additional 5% stamp duty.  I'd be using that to the solicitor as part of the complaint, stating that it could a cause direct financial impact which I'd then expect to recover from the solicitor due to their mistake.

MaggieAnne01

loubel said:

Have you made a complaint? If they knew that your company was buying then it's a pretty major error to buy the property in your name instead...

Thank you Loubel for the time to reply,  have not yet made a complaint,  who would I make the complaint to?


I sent email today, stating if the matter has not been resolved by 1st July 2025 I will be taking further action,  so I expect it will be an official complaint to the firm of solicitors, as a first step.



Maggie 

DullGreyGuy

MaggieAnne01 said:

loubel said:

Have you made a complaint? If they knew that your company was buying then it's a pretty major error to buy the property in your name instead...

Thank you Loubel for the time to reply,  have not yet made a complaint,  who would I make the complaint to?

To the solicitor firm you used, they should have a complaints process which is normally one of the partners that you raise the complaint to. 

MaggieAnne01

MeteredOut said:

Thinking of the implications of this, if the OP was planning on moving, they would strictly be a second-home owner and be liable for the additional 5% stamp duty.  I'd be using that to the solicitor as part of the complaint, stating that it could a cause direct financial impact which I'd then expect to recover from the solicitor due to their mistake.

Thank you MeteredOut taking the time to reply.

Yes, i will make the additional 5% stamp duty as part of the complaint.

Not sure what my next step would be if my complaint is not acted on.

Very stressful.

Regards

Maggie

lincroft1710

MaggieAnne01 said:

MeteredOut said:

Thinking of the implications of this, if the OP was planning on moving, they would strictly be a second-home owner and be liable for the additional 5% stamp duty.  I'd be using that to the solicitor as part of the complaint, stating that it could a cause direct financial impact which I'd then expect to recover from the solicitor due to their mistake.

Not sure what my next step would be if my complaint is not acted on.

In the unlikely event it isn't complain to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Getting a purchaser's name wrong is a  rather fundamental error for which there is little excuse

saajan_12

What did you file for stamp duty at the time of the purchase? Limited companies are subject to the higher rate regardless of how many properties are owned.

Re what to do now, could you "gift" the property to the company for £0?
- Not 'correct' but it may have the desired effect in the quickest timeframe.
- Stamp duty is based on the price paid ie £0 for this transfer not the value so no impact
- There may be CGT if the property has appreciated and a small cost to get someone to do the transfer, which you could arguably claim from the solicitor. 

Yorkie1

OP, when you first instructed the solicitor, you'll have received a client care letter which confirmed that you were instructing the firm, and it would have included details of how to complain in it too. Alternatively, I would expect the firm's website to contain details of who to contact in the first instance.

Once they receive a formal complaint, their complaints policy should be sent to you (it may also be on the website), which I would expect to set out timescales for an initial response and full response, and how to escalate if you are still not satisfied.

Even though you are already in correspondence with them about it, it may help you to set things out from the start so it's all in one place. And be clear about what you want as an outcome. (And that you don't want to have to pay anything extra for the investigation and/or rectification work, beyond what you should have paid, e.g. tax, at the original time. You should not be out of pocket by reason of their incompetence / the passage of time).

MaggieAnne01

DullGreyGuy said:

MaggieAnne01 said:

loubel said:

Have you made a complaint? If they knew that your company was buying then it's a pretty major error to buy the property in your name instead...

Thank you Loubel for the time to reply,  have not yet made a complaint,  who would I make the complaint to?

To the solicitor firm you used, they should have a complaints process which is normally one of the partners that you raise the complaint to. 

Thank you DullGreyGuy,  I am away from tomorrow for two weeks,  on my return I will look into the complaints process.     thank you for taking the time to reply.

MaggieAnne01

lincroft1710 said:

MaggieAnne01 said:

MeteredOut said:

Thinking of the implications of this, if the OP was planning on moving, they would strictly be a second-home owner and be liable for the additional 5% stamp duty.  I'd be using that to the solicitor as part of the complaint, stating that it could a cause direct financial impact which I'd then expect to recover from the solicitor due to their mistake.

Not sure what my next step would be if my complaint is not acted on.

In the unlikely event it isn't complain to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Getting a purchaser's name wrong is a  rather fundamental error for which there is little excuse

Lincroft1720  Thank you for taking the time to reply.  Agree getting a purchasers name wrong is fundamental error, no excuse,  Solicitors Regulation Authority is a good shout.