Property contracts explained

The conveyancing element of a property transaction is one of the most complex aspects of selling and buying property. In previous articles we explained the process of buying and selling property and this article will look specifically at the contracts involved in these transactions.

It is not recommended that you try to complete the task of conveyancing on your own because it is a complicated process which is very time consuming and if anything does go wrong it can cause massive setbacks for you and for anyone else in your housing chain. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you instruct an experienced conveyancing firm such as a property solicitor or a licensed conveyancer to undertake this critical stage in the property transaction. Additionally, if you also intend to buy a new home to move into as well as selling your current home you should make sure that your conveyancing firm are aware of this as they can tie both transactions together.

What is equity crowdfunding?

In a previous article we discussed some of the different ways you can raise investment for your business and one of these methods is equity crowdfunding. You have probably seen the more common form of crowdfunding where a business sets up a campaign and offers people products or gifts in return for money. Equity crowdfunding works in a similar way but instead of offering gifts the crowd can invest in equity shares instead.

If your business decides to go down the equity crowdfunding route you need to be aware that tens or even hundreds of people will own very small portions of equity shares in your business. The total sum of equity owned by the crowd may only be 10% but that is a lot of people hoping your business does well, and if it fails they are likely to lose some if not all of their investment. A potential downside is that having so many shareholders may deter larger investors, such as venture capitalists, from investing at a later stage.

Enforcing a debt

Once a judgement has been made in court against a defendant that owes money they have 14 days in which to pay and avoid a black mark on their credit file in the form of a judgement. Although most defendants will settle the debt to avoid this, there are occasions when payment still does not happen. In these circumstances enforcement options may need to be considered. Here we will take a look at some of those options.

First of all, with the help of a lawyer, you should seek to establish the status of the defendant in order to decide the best course of action. You should consider whether they own any property, are in active employment, are still trading as a business if it is a company debt, or if they own any other assets which might help to cover the debt.