Partner
Duncan specialises in agricultural property matters, including the highly technical area of agricultural tenancies, as well as sales and purchases of agricultural and equestrian land, private rights of way, easements, restrictive covenants and sporting rights.
Duncan’s recent highlights include:
- Successfully defending an Agricultural Holdings Act tenant faced with a notice to quit based upon a notice to pay.
- Defeating a Case B notice to quit at arbitration due to a continuing agricultural activity contained within a supporting planning document, as well as questioning the landlord’s settled intention to implement the non-agricultural development.
- Settling numerous succession cases by agreement, despite initial hostility from the landlord – in one case. enabling a further succession application to take place.
- Advising landlords and tenants on succession matters
- Assisting in reorganising tenancies on an estate, thus enabling the landlord to maximise Inheritance Tax agricultural property relief
- Various sales and acquisitions of agricultural and sporting estates and equestrian properties
Duncan currently sits on the Tenancy Committee of the Agricultural Law Association and is also a recommended professional for the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA). He is recognised in the Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession for his expertise in agricultural tenancies.
Duncan is a frequent speaker on agricultural and equestrian matters, including providing specialist updates for the legal profession at Central Law Training seminars and conferences. He has also written articles for various publications, including the Law Society Gazette, Estates Gazette and the farming press.
Duncan qualified as a Notary Public in 1997.
