After having lost two would-be purchasers, last year, everything was going along fine with third and the flat I wanted to move to was empty and waiting for me. The block was built in the mid-80's and all bar two had their own garage allocated on the ground floor.
The Land Registry details were rather lengthy, as flats were shown in order they had originally been sold, not by number or floor.
My Solicitor was a in a large company, but, obviously, did not use their staff to trawl through these documents, so he had a lengthy telephone call with me saying he could not find a garage allocated to the flat I was purchasing.
He said that whereas, there was unlikely to be a problem whilst I was living there, could cause problems when the flat was next sold.
I pointed out that over the years, these flats (25 in total) had a total of some 40 owners, so obviously other Solicitors were quite happy with the Land Registry. He murmered something about rural solicitors working on 'hand shake' principle!!! He wanted me to sign an indemnity letter for his company.
As my daughter lived close to those flats, I got her to contact the EA selling it and together they visited and checked out the garage - yes it was there.
That weekend, my daughter came to visit me, and she checked those documents (she was a para-legal), and quite clearly found listed this flat AND GARAGE. I pointed out to the Solicitor that it was listed - No apology from him for missing it and worrying me.
All went ahead, no indemnity letter - and all is well.
Interestingly, on the day I actually moved it was my lovely Estate Agent who kept me closely informed as the monies moved between my purchasers' purchaser, then my old house and, it was she who rang to tell me at*1.15 pm* that the everything was completed and my daughter could collect the keys to the flat.
When I arrive nearly an hour later, the removal company were well into the process of getting all my stuff into the flat. At *4.30 pm *that day - the Solicitors' office rang to say I could collect the keys!!!! Grr.......