With a wealth of experience behind us, our commercial property team will address your specific business needs. Whether it’s property ownership, management, development, acquisition or disposal, our practical and constructive approach will enable you to focus on your business while we attend to the legal details.
We act for a wide range of clients across and beyond East Anglia including banks, developers, investors and business users of all types of property. Where necessary, we can draw on the expertise in other TSP teams to provide a fully integrated approach.
We offer a City quality service at regional prices and our proactive and responsive approach will help ensure each stage of the transaction progresses smoothly and quickly.
Commercial Property
- Acquisition and disposal of all types of freehold and leasehold property for trading and / or investment
- Property development (including site acquisition, option and pre-emption agreements, planning issues, joint venture and other ownership structures, disposals)
- Grants and disposals of leases in all sectors, including mining and mineral leasing transactions
- Commercial mortgages and other secured finance arrangements including property based financing of corporate transactions
- General property ownership and management issues (including easements, overage arrangements, ownership structures, compulsory purchase, property management documentation
Agricultural
- Acquisition and disposal of estates, farms, properties and land
- Agricultural tenancies and farm management agreements
- Access to land, rights of way and wayleaves
- Sporting rights, mineral rights
- Radio and telecommunication infrastructure leasing
Please contact for more details or to arrange an initial consultation.
Checklist: Business rates exemptions - empty non-domestic property
March 2013: This checklist sets out the exemptions from business rates for non-domestic properties.
To download the PDF, please click here.
5 March 2013: Stephen Firmin and Graham Wilson of Thompson Smith and Puxon Solicitors talk about the increasing use of promotion agreements in connection with the sale of land for development
To download this article as a PDF, click here.
Update: insurance cover for commercial premises
Nov 2012: A recent Court of Appeal decision reinforces the importance for businesses of having insurance cover for losses occasioned by fire on their premises. The decision clarified that, although damage caused by fire emanating from an adjoining property could fall within the Rylands v Fletcher rule relating to non-natural use of land, such a case was likely to be "very rare". Therefore it will be difficult to bring a successful claim for fire damage without proof of negligence.
To download the PDF, click here.
Checklist: business rates exemptions for empty non-domestic property
Aug 2012: Property owners will welcome a High Court ruling on an empty rates relief avoidance scheme. The court held that the temporary storage of documents occupying only a very small percentage of a warehouse's floor space was actual occupation for the purposes of business liability. This meant that a new period of empty rates relief applied when that occupation ended.
The judgment removes some of the uncertainty around whether a short term letting of six weeks or more can successfully trigger a fresh period of empty rates relief, even where that is the primary intention of the letting. However, the four conditions of rateable occupation still need to be fulfilled and owners should also be careful to ensure that the degree of control that they exercise over the occupier's occupation does not amount to occupation by the owner.
This checklist sets out the exemptions from business rates for non-domestic properties.
Update: easements – a warning to landlords
Aug 2012: Landlords should be aware of a recent High Court decision that considered a right to park. To download a PDF copy of this update click here.
Checklist: break clauses in leases
Mar 2012: A recent High Court decision will have implications for tenants who are considering exercising a break clause in an existing lease.
The court held that a tenant owed default interest on late payments under a lease, even though the landlord had not issued any demand for default interest. As the tenant had not made all payments due under the lease as required by the break clause, its right to break the lease had not been validly exercised. The tenant remained bound for the remainder of the lease term, despite the amount of default interest being negligible.
The wording relating to the payment of default interest is commonly seen in existing leases. Therefore, when exercising a right to break in an existing lease, a tenant should check whether default interest may be due on past arrears.
This checklist highlights the practical issues a tenant should consider before exercising a break clause.
Update: assured shorthold tenancy converted into assured tenancy in error
Jan 2012: A decision in the Court of Appeal provides a warning to landlords that have multiple residential properties on their books. The court held that a letter sent in error by a landlord's employee constituted a notice, the effect of which was to convert the tenant's assured shorthold tenancy (AST) into an assured tenancy. To download a PDF copy of the update click here.
Checklist: energy performance certificates for holiday accommodation
This checklist sets out when an energy performance certificate (EPC) is required for properties rented out as holiday accommodation. Click here to download a copy of the PDF.
Update: development on appropriated land
A recent High Court decision provides some good news for developers.
To download a PDF copy click here.
A recent case in the Technology and Construction Court provides a warning to businesses involved in residential property development. The court held that a builder, who had taken more than four years to renovate a terraced house, had taken too long carrying out the works and had a caused a private nuisance to neighbours living in the adjoining property. Improperly fixed scaffolding repeatedly banged against the wall of the neighbours property and workmen using the scaffolding were able to see into their bathroom and garden. The neighbours were awarded total damages of £96,800.
To download a PDF copy of this article click here
Tony Coppock - Chartered Legal Executive
Tony Coppock qualified as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives in 1980. Tony initially worked in London, dealing with Probate, but since joining Thompson Smith and Puxon in 1988 he has worked in Conveyancing and is now specialising in Commercial Converyancing . Tony has an LL.M in Advanced Legal Practice (Commercial Property) with a distinction.
Tel: 01206 217025
Email: tcoppock@tsplegal.com