Land Registry - how to find out who owns a bit of land?

Somerset

As title says, I want to find out ownership of a bit of gravelled 'track' that's at the side of our house. I assumed the house owned it - the Land Reg shows it owning the gravelled area at the rear, and has highlighed an area at the front as enjoying 'access' but nothing on the title plan for the bit at the side ( that goes between the 'access' bit at front to gravelled bit at rear ). The red line seems to be flush with the house wall. The side bit is about 6 foot wide - is that too small to show up on the Land Reg plan ?

So how do I find out who owns it - if anyone ??

lincroft1710

The original deeds for the house may mention this track. If the track provides access for any other properties or a field even, then the deeds for these may shed some light, but your problem would be getting access to these deeds. BTW how old is your house?

Somerset

lincroft1710 wrote: »

The original deeds for the house may mention this track. If the track provides access for any other properties or a field even, then the deeds for these may shed some light, but your problem would be getting access to these deeds. BTW how old is your house?

No original deeds for the house.The house/site/garden was bought by a developer in 1995 who split the house into flats, seperated off a section behind that had a garage and converted the garage into a house. There may ( or may not ) have been another small bit of land that appears now to be with the neighbours. The flats obviously have leases. The house itself is 1850 ish. I was looking at the Land Reg title today for the freehold, and this 'track' appears to be missing. It thought it may belong to the house behind or the neighbours, but I had a look at their freehold titles/plans - but they don't own it either.

So any suggestions on how I find who does own it ?

I,M_SAD

Be careful ok.I am myself going through solicitors with person who bought my repossesed house at auction,something went wrong,I genuinely don,t have details but he presumed he had bought whole plot.It was,nt a complicated plot but we as in me and ex husband bought next doors land as well.It was a buy to let,we separated,that house ended up mine in divorce,I was in dire straits after divorce,house repossesed,and land is still in my name as it never went through at auction.Building society sold house at a profit so I owed nothing.Hence mortgage cleared but land still owned by me.

The new owner has been fighting this case it appears since 2005 and I was oblivious until he came round to my house recently.He aint a happy man,he is angry as he knows house was repossesed and he wants the land for very little.I posted on here as I was a bit shocked myself when he turned up and asked for some advice plus he was so pushy he got my back up as I was nothing to do with selling the house,so there was nothing underhand in what I did.

We are still going through solicitors for negotiation on land and my solicitor is good,he has virtually taken over whole thing for me as he says man is trying it on with amount he offered and he is renogtiating everything,my advice get a good,a very good solicitor if you want to check anything with land,house ,etc,land registry are ok but you need things legal and clear,I am not trying to be a smart bottom as I have had a house repossesed,but the main fault for the new owner is he had a bad solicitor,judging by the new owner he did I think do his homework but when it comes to money which I don,t have a lot of,don,t presume anything will work itself out as it won,t.If you are serious about purchase a solicitors fee may be a pain in the proverbial but at least if you have everything documented and outlined clearly by a solicitor then it,s better than fighting the fight 3 years later and hoping for the best.Don,t take a chance get really good professional help.

Davesnave

You can search at land Registry, as I did recently, but it may come back that nobody has registered the ownership.....in which case, like me, you'll be no further forward!

Somerset

Davesnave wrote: »

You can search at land Registry, as I did recently, but it may come back that nobody has registered the ownership.....in which case, like me, you'll be no further forward!

But how ?

Atm I've looked at the three possible owners and drawn a blank. How do I physically give a sketch or picture of the 'bit' to Land Reg to get an answer ?

Davesnave

On the Land Registry web site, the following page explains:

http://www.landsearch.net/tutorials/how_no_address.asp

As you can see, it's not cheap!

guppy

Davesnave wrote: »

On the Land Registry web site, the following page explains:

http://www.landsearch.net/tutorials/how_no_address.asp

As you can see, it's not cheap!

That isn't the Land Registry site though!

The official site is here: http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/

You can do a map search at their website here for free. But if the plot is unregistered, it won't help.

Davesnave

guppy wrote: »

That isn't the Land Registry site though!

The official site is here: http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/

You can do a map search at their website here for free. But if the plot is unregistered, it won't help.

Whoops! Thanks. I thought the price had gone up a bit, as I seemed to remember something about £3 and the site being 'greenish.' I ran my cursor over the UKLRS bit because I was suspicious and it said 'Land Registry - Land Search' so I let it go. Shouldn't be doing this and cooking at the same time!!

However, I don't know how the Land Registry site will help OP, as it asks for an address. Like the OP I had no address for the place where I wanted a title search, but I got my solicitor to do it, so presumably the business user part of the site allows this. I'm using the solicitor at the moment anyway, but if OP isn't currently employing one, then it is difficult to know which would be the cheapest route. It is also more than possible that he/she will draw a blank too.

Sorry, still not an easy choice, by the look of it.

lincroft1710

If none of properties which adjoin this land claim ownership of it and no one ever remembers an owner contacting them, I would wager ownership is "lost". Is there a reason for you trying to find the owner or are just curious?

Somerset

lincroft1710 wrote: »

If none of properties which adjoin this land claim ownership of it and no one ever remembers an owner contacting them, I would wager ownership is "lost". Is there a reason for you trying to find the owner or are just curious?

I may have to do some work on this bit of land in the near future. I need to move my electricity meter which involves the elec people digging a trench on this land. The elec people obviously won't do this work on private land without the owner's permission. Hence I'm trying to find the owner.

You know that thing where something seems so simple at the beginning but just seems to get more complicated by the day :eek: