Is there a central registry for property deeds?

terryw

Mojisola wrote: »

Check with the Land Registry to see if the properties are registered.
https://www.gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry

If not, you can register it yourself or pay a solicitor to do it for you -
https://www.gov.uk/registering-land-or-property-with-land-registry

It is worth knowing that voluntary first registration attracts a discounted fee and will probably reduce the legal costs when the property is eventually disposed of.

The actual registration process is quite straightforward and a solicitor is not usually required.

cyclonebri1

SG27 wrote: »

You can get a copy of the title deed of any registered property in the UK by going to the land registry website. It costs £3. The land registry must have kept copies themselves and at somepoint uploaded them.

You miss the point, I don't want a copy, plus there seems some doubt from previous replies as to when this info would have logged on the LR website??

Mojisola

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

You miss the point, I don't want a copy, plus there seems some doubt from previous replies as to when this info would have logged on the LR website??

You can check on the LR site whether the properties are registered with them or not.

If not, the paper deeds are very important. You can either keep them safe yourself or do a voluntary registration of the houses with LR.

cyclonebri1

Mojisola wrote: »

You can check on the LR site whether the properties are registered with them or not.

If not, the paper deeds are very important. You can either keep them safe yourself or do a voluntary registration of the houses with LR.

Ok, so how would that work?, you obviously need proof otherwise anyone could register my house in their name. Sorry for being thick here but I don't see how you can do that without the actual deeds.

Mojisola

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Ok, so how would that work?, you obviously need proof otherwise anyone could register my house in their name. Sorry for being thick here but I don't see how you can do that without the actual deeds.

You need the original deeds in order to register the house for the first time at the LR. There are good guides on the site that take you through the process.

cyclonebri1

So post #2 and post #4 are not exactly meaning full in direct regard to what I asked, thanks.

Given I have entrusted 2 sets of deeds to 2 different solicitors I would have thought that
a) 1 of them would have mentioned this and
b) they would have registered them themselves, given that is the modern way.


Hmmmm

Mojisola

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Given I have entrusted 2 sets of deeds to 2 different solicitors I would have thought that
a) 1 of them would have mentioned this and
b) they would have registered them themselves, given that is the modern way.

They couldn't register your deeds - you could instruct them to do it on your behalf and pay both the LA and the solicitor's fees.

As they have the deeds in safe keeping, there's no need to register with the LA now although the properties will need to be registered when a sale goes through or they pass to new owners through an inheritance.

We're doing ours voluntarily because it will be one thing that our family won't need to deal with if we both die while still living in this house.

nobbysn*ts

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

So you have made it, you own your own home and are mortgage free. The bank relinquishes all title to the deeds and for obvious reasons your solicitor offers to hang onto them for "safe keeping"

But like all businesses, it changes hand, and moves premises. Plus you move around.

Is there somewhere to apply to to find out who has the deeds in their safe?

I went through this.
The law society will tell you who took over your solicitors, then you can get your original documents back.
It'll fairly simple then to downland the forms from the land registry website, and get it registered electronically if you wish to.

cyclonebri1

Mojisola wrote: »

They couldn't register your deeds - you could instruct them to do it on your behalf and pay both the LA and the solicitor's fees.

As they have the deeds in safe keeping, there's no need to register with the LA now although the properties will need to be registered when a sale goes through or they pass to new owners through an inheritance.

We're doing ours voluntarily because it will be one thing that our family won't need to deal with if we both die while still living in this house.

This is exactly the reason I asked the question originally, having gone through probate for the first time last year, I want every thing in order to simplify things for out kids.

Land_Registry

Your original questions was 'Is there somewhere to apply to to find out who has the deeds in their safe?' - the simple answer is No as deciding and agreeing who will keep the original deeds safe is a matter between the specific parties 'involved with the property.

If we separate out your two scenarios you can consider the options

Your property as bought 18 years ago and mortgaged would be registered. If the property was first registered as a result of your purchase then the original deeds would have been lodged with us to create an electronic register (record of ownership) and the original deeds returned to the applicant, your solicitor. In most cases those original deeds are then held by the lender as traditionally they would see that as additional security around their mortgage.

In the past you may also have agreed with the lender to keep the Nowadays lenders are less likely to want to hold on to the original deeds for a registered property as they do not have the same value as for say, an unregistered property, as others have explained. In such circumstances they will often give you the borrower the opportunity to have them back to keep safe as you see fit.

At no point is Land Registry advised as to where the deeds are being kept.

As far as an unregistered property is concerned the original deeds clearly have more value as they are the sole proof of ownership. As the property is unregistered we would have no records re the property, it's ownership or the whereabouts of the original deeds.

Your later question asked if the original deeds were exchanged on each sale - there is no requirement to do so once the property is registered. In some cases sellers may hold on to the original deeds (if they have them) whilst in others they may hand them on. I have seen examples of old deeds appearing at auction/car boot sales as they are of historical interest whilst I have also seen framed Conveyances hanging in pubs/restaurants.

Finally, on the issue of 'safe-keeping' everyone's definition or expectation of safe will vary - wherever they are kept they can be lost, mislaid or accessed as they are physical documents. A certain generation of homeowners would probably see keeping them under the bed or in the bottom drawer as quite safe whilst nowadays some may see a storage company as being the safer option.

Once registered the electronic record is then the official record/proof of ownership so the importance of keeping the deeds 'safe' diminishes significantly.