Sarah Richardson

I’m a Senior Associate in in Michelmores’ Private Property and Landed Estates team. I work alongside private individuals, companies, landowners, farmers, landed estates, trusts and farm businesses to advise them on non-contentious agricultural and rural land and property matters.

I have specialised in agricultural and rural land and property for over 6 years, and have wide ranging experience in helping my clients with all manner of transactional and management work, from the sale and purchase of country houses, land, farms and estates; agricultural occupation arrangements; transfers of ownership and/or equity; first registrations; auction sale and purchases; residential and commercial sale, purchase and tenancy arrangements; documenting rights over land and property; dealing with both registered and unregistered land.

I enjoy getting to know my clients and working together, along with their other professionals, to achieve their goals and objectives as smoothly as possible. The nature of the land and property that I deal with tends to involve complex rights in relation to water, drainage, access, for example. Working alongside others to come up with practical solutions to these issues in order to keep transactions moving is an integral part of my job.

I joined Michelmores in January 2022, having worked in the legal sector for approximately nine years at regional and international firms prior to that.

Recent experience

Acting on the sale of part of a landed estate (over 800 acres) for £20m where the land was subject to various AHA, Farm Business Tenancies and residential tenancies. Part of the land within the tenancies was being retained by the Seller, creating a split reversion situation with rent to be apportioned between the Seller and Buyer.

Acting on the purchase of a country house and land for £5.75m which was subject to complicated occupancy restrictions which were to be transferred to other properties forming part of the estate.

Acting on the purchase of a commercial nursery for £2m where the land was subject to tenancy agreements in favour of a CHP operation and involved a leaseback to the Seller.

Acting on the grant of a tenancy agreement for a farm shop and subsequent transfers of ownership of land.

Acting on the purchase of a recently constructed barn conversion for £1.7m for a family who were relocating to a new area. Despite there being complex title issues due to the development of the wider estate, we were able to secure exchange and completion of the purchase within 5 weeks of instructions.