The Challenges

Walker Foster acted on behalf of Mr and Mrs L, a couple relocating to Ripon from Shipley with their son, who has complex educational needs. The move was motivated by their son’s acceptance into a specialised SEN school capable of meeting his unique educational requirements.

The family was under a strict deadline to complete the purchase of their new home to facilitate their son's seamless transition to the new school environment before the start of the September term. Because of the local authority's processing times for their son's Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), their presence in North Yorkshire was necessary to secure a school place, so the family decided to proceed with the purchase of this property before their current home had sold, to be able to relocate as swiftly as possible.

The urgency of the family's situation was compounded by several factors:

• The property they intended to purchase featured an air source heat pump installed under the domestic renewal heat incentive, creating uncertainty about ownership and payment for this equipment.
• Upon review, it was discovered that the property's title deeds included an incorrectly registered document.
• The title deeds made reference to a management company that was no longer in existence, resulting in ambiguity about whether the family would be responsible for maintenance costs for two ponds in the village that were previously maintained by this defunct company.