Chartered land surveyors
Chartered land surveyors
Service 08
Land advice & assistance
A technical opinion before you decide, not after.
We read titles, verify prior claims, arbitrate boundary disputes and give a reasoned opinion before purchase. A consultation costs a fraction of the price of a land mistake.
Reading what you are shown
A title, a certificate, an attestation and a sale agreement do not say the same thing and do not carry the same weight. We tell you what your documents actually establish, and what they do not prove.
Unblocking a situation
Contested limits, double sale, co-ownership, an abandoned file: we reconstruct the situation from documents and measurements, then set out your options.
Most land disputes were avoidable at the point of reading the documents.
What we do
We work from the file, and on the ground when the question requires it.
- Reading and analysing the documents. The exact nature of each document, what it establishes, what it does not cover.
- Verification at the land registry. Existence of the title, registered name, area, charges and objections on the register.
- Prior-claim search. History of transfers and files opened on the parcel.
- Field inspection. Where the question concerns boundaries: locating markers and actual occupation.
- Arbitration of contested limits. Documents and measurements set against each other to establish the admissible limit.
- Written reasoned opinion. A summary note: what the situation allows, what it rules out, and the way forward.
Our method
- First contact and statement of the question You describe the situation and the goal: buy, regularise, arbitrate or understand.
- Documents sent and read Each document analysed and what is missing identified.
- Checks at the land registry Title verification and prior-claim search on the parcel.
- Field inspection where needed Site visit for questions of boundaries or occupation.
- Handover of the reasoned opinion Written summary note, with the options and the way forward.
Documents required
- Land title or the document shown to you : The document the question concerns, even if you doubt its value.
- Certificate of ownership : Where one exists: it locates the title at the land registry.
- Plan or technical file : Plan, sketch or earlier boundary report for the parcel.
- Identity documents : Of the person concerned by the situation or the project.
- Correspondence and dispute documents : Letters, summons, decisions or exchanges with the other parties.
No document is essential to start: a consultation can serve precisely to establish what exists and what is missing.
Timeline
A simple consultation is quick; a blocked situation takes research.
- The state of the file : Complete documents are analysed in a few days; an incomplete file needs research first.
- The complexity : Co-ownership, a double sale, an old dispute or several parties involved all extend the analysis.
- The nature of the work : An opinion on documents and an arbitration of limits with a field inspection do not take the same time.
Quote and timeline sent within 24 h of receiving the documents.
Client benefits
- A clear reading of your documents. You know what your documents establish, and what they do not prove.
- A reconstructed situation. Prior claims, transfers and open files put back in chronological order.
- An informed decision. You commit your money knowing the real risks, not the assumed ones.
- A written opinion. Reasoned summary note, usable before a notary or the administration.
- Professional support. A sworn surveyor stays reachable after the opinion is delivered.
Frequently asked questions
When should I consult?
Before buying, before signing a preliminary agreement, when a neighbour contests a limit, when a file is stuck with the administration, or simply when you do not know what the document you are shown is worth.
What is a sale attestation worth?
It proves an agreement between two people, not a right of ownership enforceable against third parties. It is a useful document in a registration file, but it does not protect against a claim.
Can you arbitrate a boundary dispute?
We establish the admissible limit by setting the documents against the measurements taken on site. Our note forms the basis for discussion between the parties, and before the administration if needed.
Do I need documents to start?
No. A consultation can serve precisely to establish what exists. We carry out the searches at the land registry from whatever you hold.
Is the opinion written?
Yes. You receive a reasoned summary note: what the situation allows, what it rules out and the way forward.