Bio Quarter: a case study

In the April Journal we encouraged the profession to contact RoS prior to submitting for registration those transactions affecting multiple Land Register title sheets and/or sasine titles. We were subsequently contacted by Ann Stewart, an associate and senior professional support lawyer with Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP, about a forthcoming large scale commercial transaction at the BioQuarter, near to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

The transaction involved the registration, primarily in the Land Register, of over 60 deeds on behalf of clients of Shepherd and Wedderburn, Burness, McGrigors, Lindsays, McClure Naismith, Central Legal Office and HBJ Gateley Wareing. Working with the Shepherd and Wedderburn team we were able to identify the intake and registration requirements in advance of the presentment of the deeds and their associated applications for registration. This ensured that when the applications were recently submitted to us, no issues arose and the intake process was completed smoothly and timeously.

The opportunity to discuss the transaction in advance meant that presenting agents and respective clients, as well as ourselves, could be confident that all the necessary registration evidence was submitted at the outset and in a form and in the order that enables us to complete our registration examination efficiently.

Ann comments: “Registers of Scotland were very helpful from the outset. They immediately appointed a dedicated senior case worker and an intake officer who were prepared to invest time in understanding the dynamics of the overall transaction in advance, and provide us with advice and support in the way we prepared and submitted the whole application (which we undertook, not just for our own client, but also on behalf of the clients and interests of six other firms of solicitors). We found this invaluable, and it allowed us to be confident of a successful outcome to the intake process.”

John King, Registration Director at RoS comments: ‘We very much welcomed Ann’s approach and the opportunity to work with her and her team in advance of the transaction being presented for registration. This joined-up approach has worked well for all parties. The intake procedures were completed speedily and without problem and the dialogue with Ann will be of real assistance to us in completing the registration of what is a very complex transaction. I would encourage any solicitor who is dealing with similar transactions affecting multiple applications to contact us in advance of submitting those applications for registration.”