Implications of Unregistered Land?

ajayre

We are in the process of buying a house that is on a piece of land. A few years ago the vendor bought an additional piece of land at the back of their existing property. So at the Land Registry there are two titles in total and both are included in our purchase.

I noticed that the plan of the additional land showed that the boundary did not meet the road. There is no other access to this land from other sides, only from the road.

The gap between the land and the road is about 20 feet. It is just an overgrown hillside sloping down to the road. On the Land Registry plan it is shown with a border around it.

Our Solicitor has performed an Index Map search and it has come back as unregistered and she is now asking the vendor's solicitor about it. That will take two to three weeks to hear back.

What are the implications of this situation? I presume it must be owned by someone? Could it be a mistake with the plan for the additional land as it is the only way that land could be accessed? Is it something we could register ourselves without knowing any history?

Thanks, Andy

princeofpounds

The land will be owned by someone. It's quite likely to be either a public body (owned by the authority that built the road, or the crown perhaps) or the previous owner of the extra block (who for reasons known only to them carved it out when selling the block - perhaps as a 'ransom strip').

It's quite probably whoever owns it does not know they own it.

It's possible it is a mistake in drafting but unlikely if there is a definite gap.

You can try to establish adverse possession of the land by enclosing it and using it for many many years.

I assume this extra block of land is accessible through this ransom strip AND the property you are buying yes? Otherwise if the owner does turn up they could potentially prevent ALL access to the block.

RAS

ajayre wrote: »

I noticed that the plan of the additional land showed that the boundary did not meet the road. There is no other access to this land from other sides, only from the road.

The gap between the land and the road is about 20 feet. It is just an overgrown hillside sloping down to the road. On the Land Registry plan it is shown with a border around it.

Is there direct access from the house to the recently purchased land?

ajayre

Yes, there is direct access from the house to recently purchased land. It's all now one large garden.

On an old 1979 plan from the Land Registry (the one for the house) it shows a building on that additional land, facing the road, but not on this unregistered strip.

Andy

RAS

You could try getting maps from the Country Records Office to see if they can give you an address; then check the electoral rolls from that time?

Or it might have been a business?

Does the vendor know who they bought their patch off?

ajayre

Yes they do, and on the Land Registry title there is a mystery restriction that says it cannot be sold without contacting two named people or their solicitors. Currently our solicitor doesn't know why there is a restriction.

So perhaps it really is a ransom strip?

Andy

ValHaller

ajayre wrote: »

I noticed that the plan of the additional land showed that the boundary did not meet the road. There is no other access to this land from other sides, only from the road.

The gap between the land and the road is about 20 feet. It is just an overgrown hillside sloping down to the road. On the Land Registry plan it is shown with a border around it.

Is there any access way to the land from the road? Is it in use?

G_M

Soundslike a ransome strip tome.

As soon as you create an access drive from the road across the strip to your back garden, the owner will appear......

ajayre

The thing is - I *could* bulldoze the garage and put in a drive thereby doing an end-run around this strip.

There is no access in use from the road and nothing on the land now except weeds.

Andy