Additional Solicitor Costs - Unregistered Property

harding1985

Hi All,

We have been advised by our solicitors that the property that we are purchasing is 'unregistered' and as such additional charges will be added to our solicitors bill for the first registration formalities, Land Registry fees and pre-completion search.

Where do we stand in relation of these charges? Can I ask the seller of the property to pay them? Or this is ANOTHER cost that we as buyers need to swallow?

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

steeeb

Any idea what the costs are?

I don't think they amount to much, but are obviously mentioning it as when you need to pay it will be a bit higher than what was I assume originally agreed.

AdrianC

It's down to you. The law requires all properties to be registered in the new owner's name when sold, if they haven't been registered before.

harding1985

steeeb wrote: »

Any idea what the costs are?

I don't think they amount to much, but are obviously mentioning it as when you need to pay it will be a bit higher than what was I assume originally agreed.

Solicitor says that the additional costs have been put in a letter which i should receive in the next few days.

steeeb

harding1985 wrote: »

Solicitor says that the additional costs have been put in a letter which i should receive in the next few days.

I'd just wait until then before deciding how to proceed. I very much doubt it's more than a couple hundred. It is then up to you whether this couple hundred extra makes the difference between buying the house or not.

harding1985

steeeb wrote: »

I'd just wait until then before deciding how to proceed. I very much doubt it's more than a couple hundred. It is then up to you whether this couple hundred extra makes the difference between buying the house or not.

Its one thing after another atm. We had to increase our deposit from 3k to 15k to bridge the gap on the survey valuations.

Its more annoying than anything else, especially as its something that is out of our control :cool:

Like you said lets wait and see what the costs are lol :beer:

DigForVictory

When we bought a house & found we didn't have deed to the back garden, the vendors bought an insurance policy against anyone else claiming it while we paid the land registry fees. I think they paid more than we did.
It's another bump on the path to home ownership, but it's not usually grotesquely expensive unless someone else has a credible but unregistered claim. All the best with it!

jjlandlord

It's a bit late for this one, however note:

You can get a copy of the titles from the Land Registry's website for £3.
If, when you try, you get a reply that there is no registered titles then you know that you'll have to have them registered (and pay) if you pay the property.

IMHO it's a good idea in any case to get a copy of the title deed and map as it gives you an idea of what to expect before your solicitor does that for you (but obviously by that point you're in for much more than £3 or £6).

harding1985

DigForVictory wrote: »

When we bought a house & found we didn't have deed to the back garden, the vendors bought an insurance policy against anyone else claiming it while we paid the land registry fees. I think they paid more than we did.
It's another bump on the path to home ownership, but it's not usually grotesquely expensive unless someone else has a credible but unregistered claim. All the best with it!

Thanks DigForVictory

AdrianC

DigForVictory wrote: »

When we bought a house & found we didn't have deed to the back garden, the vendors bought an insurance policy against anyone else claiming it while we paid the land registry fees.

That sounds like you may have had another layer of complexity, in that the house was registered, but the registration hadn't included the garden - so, presumably, there were no deeds saying the garden was part of the house, either!

DigForVictory

Oh we lucked out sideways with the house! The vendors were actually in a very strong position as they'd been using it as back garden for over 15 years - they'd have had squatters rights had anyone tried to contest...

But it was a worrying time, amongst others!

Try not to worry overmuch harding1985 - housebuying is just one d*mn thing after another, but once all the paperwork is sorted & you've moved in, when the rain comes in, It's Yours.
Plan that glass of something potent On The Day, (a bonus bottle on the day you Finish Unpacking - not a state I've arrived at, over a decade later) and regard that disconcerting trickle with a proprietary air.

You will get there. There will be moments when you won't believe me, some of them even as you hold the keys, but you will!