Caroline is a Partner in the Agriculture and Landed Estates teams.
The sale, purchase and mortgaging of farms and agricultural property are key areas she supports clients with. She also provides guidance on overage agreements on agricultural land, the occupation of farm cottages by agricultural workers and on the grant, surrender and termination of agricultural tenancies and licenses, including both farm business tenancies and Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 tenancies.
In addition, her areas of expertise also include sporting rights, rights of way, and on options, easements and leases for the installation of utilities equipment and for the erection of solar farms.
She acts for landlords and tenants, farmers, landed estate owners, educational institutions and financial institutions in connection with agricultural land and property.
Recent examples of how Caroline has supported clients include:
- completing a £25 million refinancing deal in respect of six farms within a six-week timescale on behalf of a farming company and specialist agricultural lender;
- securing possession of land occupied under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 tenancy by establishing breach of tenancy and the owner’s right, in those circumstances, to terminate the tenancy for their own use;
- effecting the surrender of an Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 tenancy and farm business tenancy for a large educational institution which needed to reclaim possession of land previously let out through a farming company; and
- negotiating an option and lease for a farming company which had agreed to allow the installation of a gas pipe across their land, on terms which ensured its concerns over drainage were met and that they were compensated for basic payment scheme losses.