How a Contested Boundary Line Threatened a £420,000 Sale — and How We Resolved It in 19 Days
A family in County Antrim faced the collapse of their property sale when a neighbour lodged a boundary objection three days before exchange. Our team intervened, secured Land Registry clarification, and brought both parties to a binding agreement within three weeks.
The Problem: A Last-Minute Boundary Objection
The Henderson family had accepted an offer on their four-bedroom detached home in Ballymena. Contracts were being prepared. Then, without warning, their next-door neighbour submitted a statutory declaration claiming that a strip of land along the western fence — roughly 1.8 metres wide and 22 metres long — had been in continuous adverse possession for over twelve years.
The buyer's solicitor immediately paused the transaction. The estate agent warned the Hendersons that unless the dispute was resolved quickly, the buyer would walk away. A second sale attempt in a cooling market could cost them tens of thousands of pounds.
Our approach was not to litigate immediately. Instead, we obtained historical Ordnance Survey data, cross-referenced the Land Registry folio, and identified that the neighbour's claim rested on a misinterpretation of a 1987 deed plan. We arranged a joint inspection with a chartered surveyor and presented our findings directly to the neighbour's solicitor.
Within 19 days, the neighbour withdrew the statutory declaration. The sale completed on schedule.
Case Study 02: The Delayed Conveyance
A first-time buyer in Belfast nearly lost their mortgage offer due to a chain collapse. We restructured the transaction in under a fortnight.
Saving a First-Time Purchase After Chain Collapse
Aoife Maguire had been saving for six years. Her mortgage approval had a fixed expiry. When the seller above her in the chain pulled out, the entire sequence stalled. Her estate agent told her to start over.
We took a different view. Within two days, we contacted the remaining parties in the chain, identified a bridging arrangement that allowed the seller below to proceed independently, and negotiated a revised completion date that fell within Aoife's mortgage offer window — with three days to spare.
Total elapsed time from instruction to completion: 13 working days. Aoife's mortgage offer was preserved. No additional borrowing costs were incurred. The vendor accepted a minor price adjustment of £1,200 in exchange for certainty of completion.
Our Working Method: From First Call to Completion
Initial Assessment Call
We listen to the full picture — not just the legal issue, but the commercial and personal context. This call is free and typically lasts 20–30 minutes.
Document Review & Strategy Note
Within 48 hours of instruction, you receive a written strategy note outlining our recommended approach, estimated costs, and projected timeline.
Active Case Management
We handle all correspondence, Land Registry filings, third-party negotiations, and court preparation where needed. You receive weekly status updates by email.
Resolution & Post-Completion
Once the matter concludes, we provide a full file summary and remain available for any follow-up queries for 90 days at no additional charge.
Practice Areas
Residential Conveyancing
Purchase, sale, remortgage, and transfer of equity for homes across Northern Ireland. Fixed-fee options available for straightforward transactions.
Boundary & Title Disputes
Resolution of contested boundaries, adverse possession claims, easement disputes, and title defects through negotiation or tribunal proceedings.
Landlord & Tenant
Lease drafting, rent review, forfeiture proceedings, dilapidations claims, and tenant eviction under Northern Ireland's Private Tenancies Order.
Commercial Property
Acquisition, disposal, and leasing of commercial premises. Due diligence, planning condition review, and environmental risk assessment.
Property Development
Legal structuring for residential and mixed-use developments, section agreements, overage provisions, and joint venture documentation.
Agricultural & Rural Land
Farm sales, conacre agreements, right-of-way disputes, and succession planning for agricultural holdings in Northern Ireland.
Recovering £67,000 in Dilapidations for a Lisburn Warehouse Landlord
When a commercial tenant vacated a 4,500 sq ft warehouse unit in Lisburn without remedying significant damage, the landlord — a family trust — was left facing repair costs that exceeded the remaining rent deposit by a wide margin.
We conducted a detailed schedule of dilapidations, instructed a building surveyor, and initiated proceedings under the lease's break clause provisions. The former tenant's solicitors initially disputed the claim entirely, arguing fair wear and tear.
Our analysis of the photographic evidence taken at lease commencement, combined with the surveyor's report, demonstrated that the damage was well beyond ordinary deterioration. After two rounds of negotiation, the tenant agreed to a settlement of £67,400 — covering repair costs, lost rental income during the void period, and our client's legal fees.
Discuss Your Property Matter
Describe your situation briefly and we will respond within one working day with an initial assessment and fee indication.
Legal Information
Effective Date: 1 January 2026
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Last Updated: 1 January 2026
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