Conveyancing Contents

1. overview
a. services of conveyancing lawyers
b. illustration of general procedure

2. taking instructions
a. preliminary matters
i. taking instructions fr proper parties
ii. basic qns to note for purchaser and seller
1. property – eligibility
2. whether paid
3. whether buying alone
4. how financing
iii. attendance notes
iv. letter to client confirming instructions
v. conflict of interest
b. nature of transaction
i. sale/purchase
ii. mortgage/financing
c. who client is
i. particulars required
1. for caveat
2. natural persons reqts
3. company
4. unincorp associations
ii. nationality issue
1. natural person
2. corporate client
3. society
iii. verification
iv. marital status
v. muslim owners
d. financing arrangement
i. CPF
ii. loan
iii. price and schedule of payment
iv. stamp duty
v. income tax and capital gains tax
vi. stakeholder clause
vii. inventory list
viii. time frame
ix. vacant possession or subj to tenancy etc
x. contributionss
xi. others – provision for adverse sitn, agency clauses etc
xii. legal fees and others

3. preparing contracts
a. incorporation of law soc’s conds

4. Searches on title
a. When
b. Purpose of title search
c. What it is
d. Process
 i. Undertaking
ii. Search online or at SLA
1. CL title
2. LTA
a. Sample CT
3. LBS search
iii. Reporting to client after search
iv. Conditions of contract – terms in title
e. Legal requisitions and relationship to title
i. Cases on what constit satisfactory reply
ii. Typical scenario
f. After title search and LR replies
g. Search on parties
i. Property transmitted on death
ii. Residential property – citizen
iii. Bankruptcy and insolvency

5. uncompleted properties
a. definitions
b. duties of licensed housing developer
c. effect of contravention – x2
d. unlicensed developer
e. form of purchase contract(option)
f. sale and purchase agreement
g. summary of process of purchase
h. summary of docs involved
i. scheme of financing
j. en bloc sale

6. concluding contract
a. reqts for validity
b. ways of reaching contract
i. subject to contract
ii. s and p agreement
iii. option to purchase
iv. exchange of correspondence
v. exchange of signed agreements
vi. put and call option agreements
vii. oral contract evidenced by mem in writing
viii. agreement under HDCLA
ix. agreement under SCPA
x. tenders
c. upon conclusion of contract
i. stakeholding money
ii. stamp duty
iii. withholding tax (where applicable)
iv. GST
v. Insurance
vi. Lodgment of caveat
vii. Others
1. searches – title
2. confirm instructions
3. bridging loan
4. ROT
 5. draft transfer

7. Registration practice
a. Types of land
b. Role of land registry
c. Registration services
i. electronic land register
ii. INLIS
iii. STARS
iv. DIPS
d. Pts of contact
i. Property search
ii. Lodgments
iii. Transfers
iv. Caveat
1. -> cert of correctness
2. -> objection or amendments
v. registration: 2 land registration systems
1. common law deeds system
2. land titles torrens system
3. land titles strata act
4. Strata devpt life cycle
e. land identification
f. land dealings approval unit
i. restrictions on foreign ownership
ii. easing of restrictions
g. qualifying cert

8. requisitions on title
a. good title
i. deducing good title
ii. salient pts – capacity, power of attorney, description of property, words of conveyance
iii. access
b. requisitions on title
i. when on the time line
ii. purpose
iii. form
iv. time frame
v. failure to send ROT
vi. duties of vendor
vii. duties of purchaser
viii. right to rescind
1. purchaser
2. vendor - unreasonable requisitions

9. preparation and execution of transfers

a. who and when
b. general - what, form and content
c. specific - prescribed forms – drafting
i. types of forms x4
ii. usual transfer - form19 reqts
d. doctrine of merger
e. sample qns
10. mortgage and release of CPF money
a. change of quotas
b. duty of a solicitor
c. bank mortgage
i. process
ii. parties
1. capacity
iii. security docs
iv. drafting the mortgage document/ letter of offer
1. salient clauses: rights of third parties
v. hard law:
1. equity for redemption/
2. mortgagor’s duty in exercising power of sale
a. true market value
b. no duty to sell at partr time
c. mortgagee may be liable for rent
d. exclusion of liability
e. limitation period
f. non applicability of consumer prxtn Act
vi. completion – execution and registration of mortgage
1. common law mortgage
2. land titles mortgage
a. completed property
i. solicitor’s duties
b. uncompleted property
i. drafting caveat/ effects of caveat
vii. when borrower is company
viii. guarantees
1. characteristics
2. fiduciary obligations and undue influence
3. basic terms
4. execution
d. CPF board’s statutory charge
i. Documents
ii. Pts to note
iii. Priority of distribution of sales proceeds
iv. CPF residential properties scheme

11. Completion
a. Before completion
b. Completion account
c. Actual completion
d. Post completion
e. Relevant legislation

12. Leases
a. Applicable law
b. Steps for grant of lease
c. Format of lease
i. Letter of intent
ii. Main components of lease
iii. Other matters
1. GST issues
2. Pters on clauses
 3. Approved use of premises
4. Deposit
5. Novation agreement
6. Bailment
7. Option to renew
8. Right of first refusal
9. Lease of common areas
10. Diplomatic clause
11. Terms of mortgage
12. Personal effects of tenant
13. List continues
d. Determination of lease
e. Landlord’s remedies

13. Strata titles board

a. Collective sales