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Head of Rural Services
Pam Johns has been with Coodes since 1989, and a Partner since 1998. She has always dealt with property matters, starting out in Residential Property but since 2005 she has specialised in Commercial Property, with a particular interest in rural property.
She established the Holsworthy office and has been consistently highly ranked in the legal directories Legal 500 and Chambers for many years.
Pam is ranked in the 2025 edition of Chambers and Partners.
Pam is highly experienced in commercial property transactions, handling a wide variety of transactions.
Acting for a client who had been in dispute with a neighbour over a variety of boundary issues, the right to the supply of water under an easement and right of way issues.
Pam assisted with the preparation and completion of an application to fix the new boundary, two deeds of variation to easements for water supply and rights of way.
Although we were instructed to act in the sale at the beginning of the year it was only in September we were instructed by one of the members of the LLP that a sale had been agreed and heads of terms were being negotiated for that sale with deferred payments for part of the purchase price with a charge back to the sellers for the balance.
Just at the point of finalising the heads of terms the instructing member of the LLP died suddenly and unexpectedly and the two remaining members of the LLP have had to get to grips with the running of the golf club as well as the planned sale.
The way in which the ownership was structured meant the two surviving members could still proceed with the sale irrespective of the death of their co-trustee although, of course, liaising closing with the family of the deceased.
There have been discussions around the financing of the deal and the way the deal is structured with little input from the buyer’s solicitors.
This relates to a deed of easement with the local authority for three mains drainage pipes connecting with the local authority drains beneath the road in a local industrial estate following our client developing an extension to such industrial estate and to take the foul drainage from the units being constructed on the extension to the industrial estate.
The grantee (our client) has signed the deed in readiness for completion but the local authority won’t seal their part until the works to connect the drainage pipes into the existing system with the local authority (grantor’s) land have been “signed off” as compliant with building and all other regulations.
Having to verify that neighbouring titles had the necessary rights reserved for the services to be laid/connected to the local authority drains.
Initial negotiations were with a developer who were successors in title to the original developers. They were trying to claim they had a ransom strip into the land now being sold.
Researching the original transfer (Coodes didn’t act at the time of that sale) we argued there was no ransom strip.
Discussing exclusivity agreement with latest buyers (following an abortive sale when buyers couldn’t come up with the money) as this buyer has spent several thousand pounds obtaining reserved matters and varying layout plans etc.
As part of succession planning, a piece of land adjoining the development land being sold, was gifted to our client’s son before the recent budget. Amendments are now required to the draft transfer to ensure that the appropriate rights are now reserved in favour of the son, rather than our client to ensure that he can continue to fully benefit from those rights.
Pam has a particular interest in rural property and is extremely well known in the region for her work supporting the rural community.
She handles the more complex and high value transactions involving farm sales, purchases, and farm business tenancies.
We acted for clients in the purchase of a farm where they subsequently obtained planning permission for a children’s nursery and preschool.
They needed a Lease to be drawn up for the farmhouse, buildings and garden. The Lease for the children’s nursery and preschool contained a right of way over the farm lane and various rights and covenants to ensure the Nursery was “secure” for the children and workforce but also allowed our clients to continue their farming operations on their retained land and buildings.
It is a good example of farmers diversification and is providing a valuable facility for the local community.
Pam acted for the administrators of an estate in the sale of a farm. Part way through the transaction it became clear that the Buyer hadn’t got all the money to buy the farm and it was agreed to proceed to exchange and completion with part of the sale price being secured by a charge back to the executors to allow time for the Buyer to refinance or sell other property they own.
Our clients were selling Land and Buildings that were inherited from their late parents’ Estate. However, they had prepared their own Deeds of Variation that could have triggered First Registration and so the Buyers and their Lawyers insisted that the land was registered at Land Registry before the sale could proceed.
First Registration was applied for and was slightly complicated because of those “home drawn” Deeds of Variation and also the Mines and Minerals were excepted to The Duke of Cornwall. Wording was agreed with the Sellers, Buyers and Land Registry to deal with those Mines and Minerals before the registration was able to be completed and the Buyers and their Lawyers were happy to proceed.
It was important to try and keep all parties informed of progress with the registration application to keep the “deal” together and explaining to the Sellers why the voluntary registration was having to be done.
We acted for clients who had previously owned the land that they were purchasing and had then sold it back in 2000 and have been renting it under a Farm Business Tenancy (FBT). Following the death of the Landlords, they agreed with the estate to buy back the land and extinguish the FBT. They also had a charge to AMC to assist with the purchase and AMC also took a charge over other land that they own, to bring in their son as the next generation to the purchase.
Acting for a local businessman in the sale of one of his farms as he works towards retirement. There was a self-invested personal pension (SIPP) owning part of the farm to be sold and a tenancy affecting some of the buildings. There was also a solar array to be transferred, as well as a gazumping attempt part way through by the unsuccessful buyer.
A fairly grand eight bedroomed house set in the middle of the farm; the house was agriculturally tied.
The buyers were neighbouring farmers so they fully complied with the tie and knew it well as they had been farming the ground in recent years.
The seller (our client) is in his 80s and negotiated being able to continue living in the house for up to two years from completion rent free whilst he found somewhere to move to.
There is an undocumented grazing agreement on a part of the farm and an undocumented occupier of the stables. Part of the two accessways to the farm were “outside” the registered titles and a statement of truth had to be prepared.
The seller has a difficult relationship with his bank which had to be managed.
The buyers funding involved selling some land as well as borrowings and for their Lenders they had to change lawyers part way through the transaction.
The buyers purchased subject to the existing countryside stewardship scheme.
The Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice for England (“the Code”) came into force…
Pam Johns, Head of Rural Services at Coodes looks at the three D’s and why…
The housing crisis has brought the need for Community Land Trusts into sharp focus. Pam…
Pam Johns, Partner and Rural Services Team Leader at Coodes Solicitors, reflects on her involvement…
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