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Terms and Conditions

1. About Us

This website is operated by John Ratchford, trading as John Ratchford Property & Land, based on the Wirral, Merseyside. We operate across Merseyside, Liverpool, Chester and the surrounding areas.

By using this website, registering an enquiry, joining a WhatsApp group, or engaging with John Ratchford in relation to any property, land or referral matter, you agree to these Terms and Conditions in full.

Contact: john@johnratchford.com | johnratchford.com

2. Services Provided

John Ratchford Property & Land provides the following services:

  • Property purchasing — buying residential and commercial property directly from motivated sellers
  • Land sourcing and option agreements — identifying land with planning potential and entering into option agreements with landowners
  • Deal sourcing — identifying and introducing off-market property and land opportunities to registered investors
  • Referral and introduction services — connecting investors with sellers, and referring clients to trusted professional partners including solicitors, mortgage brokers and surveyors
  • Property finder network — operating a finder programme whereby third parties are engaged to identify potential sellers or land opportunities on a commission basis

 

John Ratchford Property & Land does not provide regulated financial advice, investment advice, or mortgage advice. Nothing on this website or communicated by John Ratchford constitutes a financial promotion or regulated activity under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). If you require financial or investment advice, you should seek guidance from an FCA-authorised firm.

3. Use of This Website

By accessing and using johnratchford.com you agree to use the site only for lawful purposes and in a manner that does not infringe the rights of others.

You must not:

  • Use the site to transmit unsolicited commercial communications
  • Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the site or its systems
  • Use the site for any fraudulent, misleading or harmful purpose
  • Submit false or misleading information through any contact form or enquiry

 

We reserve the right to suspend or restrict access to the website at any time without notice.

4. Enquiries and Contact Forms

When you submit an enquiry via any contact form on this website — whether as a seller, land owner, investor, professional partner or property finder — you are providing your details voluntarily for the purpose of John Ratchford making direct contact with you in relation to the enquiry submitted.

Submitting a form does not constitute a binding agreement of any kind. No obligation is created on either party until a formal written agreement has been signed.

John Ratchford aims to respond to all enquiries personally and promptly, but does not guarantee a response time or that every enquiry will result in a transaction.

5. Property Purchases

5.1 General

John Ratchford purchases property directly from sellers. Any offer made is subject to contract and survey. No legally binding agreement exists until contracts have been exchanged.

5.2 Valuations

Any informal valuation, indicative offer or price discussed prior to formal survey and legal process is provided in good faith but is not binding. The final offer may be revised following survey findings, legal searches or other material information that comes to light during the purchase process.

5.3 Seller Obligations

Sellers are expected to provide accurate and complete information about the property at the time of enquiry. Providing false, misleading or incomplete information may result in withdrawal of any offer and could have legal consequences.

Sellers remain responsible for ensuring they have the legal right to sell the property and for obtaining independent legal advice before exchanging contracts.

5.4 No Estate Agency

John Ratchford is not an estate agent. We purchase property for our own account or arrange introductions to third-party investors. We do not act as an agent for sellers in the sale of their property to third parties.

6. Land and Option Agreements

Where John Ratchford enters into an option agreement with a landowner, the specific terms of that agreement — including the option period, purchase price mechanism, and conditions — will be set out in a separate written legal document drafted by solicitors.

Any discussion prior to the signing of a formal option agreement is exploratory only and creates no binding obligation on either party.

Landowners are strongly advised to obtain independent legal advice before entering into any option agreement. John Ratchford may recommend solicitors but does not require landowners to use any particular firm.

7. Investor Registration and Deal Introductions

7.1 Nature of the Service

Registered investors receive information about potential property and land opportunities identified by John Ratchford. This is an introduction service only. John Ratchford does not manage funds, hold client money, or provide investment advice.

Investors are responsible for conducting their own due diligence on any opportunity introduced to them. John Ratchford makes no representations or warranties as to the suitability, profitability or risk profile of any opportunity.

7.2 No Guarantee of Deal Flow

Registration as an investor does not guarantee that opportunities will be introduced to you. Deal introductions are made at John Ratchford’s sole discretion based on the investor’s stated criteria and the availability of suitable opportunities.

7.3 Fees

Where a sourcing fee or introduction fee is payable in connection with a property or land transaction, this will be agreed in writing prior to any transaction completing. No fee is payable simply for registering as an investor.

7.4 Investor Responsibility

Investors must satisfy themselves as to the legal, financial and practical aspects of any transaction. John Ratchford strongly recommends that all investors engage independent solicitors, surveyors and financial advisers as appropriate before committing to any purchase.

8. WhatsApp Groups

John Ratchford operates private WhatsApp Business groups for communication with investors, sellers, land enquirers and other parties. The following conditions apply to membership of these groups:

  • Membership is by invitation only. John Ratchford controls group membership and may remove any member at any time without notice.
  • Groups are admin-only by default. Members receive communications from John Ratchford but are not able to post messages visible to other group members.
  • Members cannot see the identity of other members in the group. All communications within the group are directed to and from John Ratchford only.
  • Information shared within WhatsApp groups is confidential. Members must not share, screenshot, forward or distribute any deal information, pricing, property details or other content shared by John Ratchford without express written permission.
  • WhatsApp groups are a communication tool only. Membership does not constitute a contractual relationship or investment agreement of any kind.
  • John Ratchford accepts no liability for the availability or reliability of the WhatsApp platform, which is operated by Meta Platforms Inc. and subject to its own terms of service.

9. Professional Partners

Solicitors, mortgage brokers, surveyors, estate agents and other professionals who register via the website are registering their interest in receiving referrals from John Ratchford. Registration does not guarantee referrals and creates no exclusivity arrangement.

John Ratchford makes referrals based on his own judgement and does not accept payment or inducements in exchange for referrals unless such arrangements are disclosed to the client and compliant with applicable regulations.

Professional partners are responsible for ensuring they hold all appropriate licences, registrations and professional indemnity insurance for the services they provide.

10. Property Finder Programme

10.1 General

The property finder programme allows individuals to earn a commission fee by introducing potential sellers, land owners or investment opportunities to John Ratchford. Finders operate independently and are not employees or agents of John Ratchford.

10.2 Commission

Commission is payable only upon successful completion of a transaction that results directly from an introduction made by the finder. The commission amount and payment terms will be agreed in writing before any introduction is acted upon.

No commission is payable where the seller or property was already known to John Ratchford at the time of introduction, or where the transaction does not proceed to completion.

10.3 Finder Conduct

Finders must:

  • Act honestly and in good faith in all dealings
  • Not misrepresent John Ratchford’s services or make promises on his behalf
  • Not approach sellers in a manner that is aggressive, misleading or in breach of any applicable law
  • Comply with all applicable data protection laws when collecting or sharing personal information about potential sellers

 

John Ratchford reserves the right to terminate a finder’s participation in the programme at any time if conduct is found to be unsuitable.

11. Data Protection and Privacy

John Ratchford takes the privacy of your personal data seriously and complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Personal data submitted through this website — including name, phone number, email address and property details — is collected for the purpose of responding to your enquiry and conducting business related to that enquiry. Your data will not be sold to third parties.

Your data may be shared with trusted professional partners (such as solicitors or surveyors) where this is necessary to progress a transaction, and only where this is relevant to your enquiry.

You have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting john@johnratchford.com.

For full details of how your data is used, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

12. Intellectual Property

All content on johnratchford.com — including text, images, layout and design — is the property of John Ratchford and may not be reproduced, copied or distributed without prior written permission.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, John Ratchford Property & Land shall not be liable for:

  • Any loss of profit, revenue or anticipated savings arising from your use of this website or our services
  • Any indirect, consequential or special loss or damage
  • Any loss arising from reliance on information provided on this website or in any communication from John Ratchford, where that reliance is unreasonable in the circumstances
  • Any loss arising from the failure of a property transaction to complete for reasons outside John Ratchford’s control

 

Nothing in these Terms and Conditions limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or any other matter that cannot be excluded by law.

14. Third Party Links

This website may contain links to third-party websites including WhatsApp, Skool or Circle (if applicable). These links are provided for convenience only. John Ratchford has no control over the content of third-party websites and accepts no responsibility for them or for any loss or damage arising from your use of them.

15. Changes to These Terms

John Ratchford reserves the right to update or amend these Terms and Conditions at any time. The current version will always be available at johnratchford.com. Your continued use of the website following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms.

16. Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising in connection with these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

17. Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, please contact:

 

John Ratchford Property & Land

Based on the Wirral, Merseyside

Email: contact@johnratchford.com

Website: johnratchford.com

These Terms and Conditions were prepared for John Ratchford Property & Land and should be reviewed by a solicitor before publication to ensure they are appropriate for the specific nature of the business as it develops, particularly in relation to any regulated activities.

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