In your answer booklet, draft the contents only of a pre-completion checklist for the sale of 3a John Street. Which item would be included?

• A. Suitable Heading
• B. Check replies to CIU in Form TA13/requisitions have been given, including an appropriate undertaking to discharge the existing mortgage on completion.
• C. Check the Transfer has been executed correctly by Gita Patel.
• D. Check where keys are held.

Answer: (B)

In a sale, the pre-completion stage is all about making sure the buyer’s title will pass cleanly and that the seller has provided all necessary information. A key item is confirming that replies to requisitions on title (Form TA13) have been given and that there is an undertaking to discharge the existing mortgage on completion. The TA13 replies form part of the information package the buyer relies on to verify ownership, boundaries, charges, and other burdens. An undertaking to discharge the mortgage on completion gives the buyer confidence that the debt secured by the mortgage will be paid off and the title can transfer free of that charge when completion happens. This combination directly protects the buyer’s position and smooths the transfer of title.

Other options are less central to this critical clearance: a heading is a drafting detail, the transfer being executed by a particular person may occur earlier or later in the process and isn’t the primary pre-completion check for title clearance, and noting where keys are held relates more to handover logistics than to ensuring a clean title on completion.