Land Registry questions

Land_Registry

matthew22346 said:

Hi, does anyone know how long the land registry backlog at the minute is? we are nearly ready to exchange contracts on a purchase but we have one last hold up and that’s the land registry registering the deed of variation for solar panels. A shade greener put the deed into the land registry on April 6th. Their request to expedit the application was refused because although it is holding the chain up we have no mortgage offers running out.  We are already at 17 weeks with only 2 in the chain.
 Our other option is to proceed with solicitors undertakings to register after compleation. Does anyone have any experience of doing this? Are lenders likely to realease mortgage funds with just the undertakings. Thanks

The backlog was deep and the Covid 19 impact has been significant - if there’s a confirmed buyer then you can request expedition. The mortgage offer applies to a remortgage situation 

BlueC

Land_Registry said:

Looking at the registered details it looks like they've been asking for two separate deeds but they’re both in the one copy Abstract - that may be where the confusion lies
The latest application has been responded to yesterday so hopefully they’ve got an explanation to work with 

This is brilliant, thank you. Unbeknown to me, our solicitor made a new application for the deeds on Monday and they were received on Wednesday. This is the latest application that you referred to. I'm not sure what happened to the original application from the sellers solicitor or why it took so long but we're sorted now. Thanks for your help.

RUC

Hello LR,

My widowed mother died in 2005 leaving her freehold property (originally purchased in 1953) to my brother and myself. My brother was her named executor, however he died in 2018 his wife is his executor. We have since learned that he failed to transfer the title to his and my joint names, also that the title had never been registered in the first place and that the title deeds were not in my mother’s possession.

 We also discover that my father, in 1985, had instructed a solicitor to register the property in his and my mother’s joint names. We have a letter acknowledging receipt of and a schedule of the title deeds from the solicitor but it appears from Land Registry records the title was never registered also the documents not returned to my parents. This firm of solicitors subsequently stopped practising (I believe they were struck off) many years ago and enquiries with the Law Society, Solicitors Regulation authority and the current occupants of their old premises (an estate agent and lettings agency)failed to find the documents or trace were they may have passed to.

To assist with reconstruction and registration of the title we have documents dating from the original purchase in 1952/53 including the solicitors and building society correspondence for the original purchase, an original plan of the property, a planning application made in 1956, limited personal correspondence to my parents at the property’s address, wills and grant of probate for both deceased parents and my brother. Since 2005 we have let the property to two tenants the latter still in residence, consequently we have records of tenancy agreements, bank statements showing monthly receipt of rent and payment of buildings insurance, electrical and gas certificates also some utilities correspondence during the period between the two tenants.

I have two questions please;

1.       What forms should we use to register title?

2.       In view of the lost deeds do we have sufficient information to be granted absolute title? We are aware that until you actually have sight of the evidence you cannot give a definite answer but could you indicate if the evidence could be enough.

I would be grateful if you are able to offer any guidance.

mem1209

Land_Registry said:

mem1209 said:

Dear Land_Registry,

I would like to ask you for an advice about the process of the title deeds change/update.

In this April I have started a remortgage process, all went smooth until I was told that my deeds have a charging order for CCJ dated 28.01.2008, placed on deeds in 2009, January. 

After shock and enormous stress over last 20 days I managed to get a confirmation from the original Bank, who placed a charge order, that the debt was paid in 2012 and the Bank has simply forgotten to apply for the charge removal!

Now they told me that they made an application for removal on 11th May (I don't know reference number if it's exist). Also I was told by then that it may take 14 days or rather longer in todays unprecedented times! 

My question to you is there any chance to speed up the process of updating the deeds? As I am remortgaging to the lower interest rate it is highly important for our case to have no delay to avoid extra financial burden.

With thanks for reply!

You can use our ....to ask for it to be expedited and submit evidence of the urgency eg your mortgage offer  

Hi @Land_Registry 
your advice how to track the case is greatly appreciated! Since my application for the acceleration of title charge amendment  no reply to the query and no change on the deeds. 
is the option to check change in deeds online  without paying £3 pound every time exist?
Thanks for feedback

mem1209

  Hi @Land_Registry 
I got an email from HMLR that I might have to wait SEVERAL MONTHS until the charge will be removed from my deeds! 
"The most delayed applications will be dealt with first as a matter of priority over the coming months. If you feel that your application is urgent, or is holding up a following transaction, you can  contact us  using  the Application Enquiry  service and we can consider expediting it.  If we approve your request, we will process your application sooner."
How do I contact HMLR  using  the Application Enquiry  service?? I already done 2 requests via the link you shared with me kindly.. Is it now something different??
PLEASE, Land_Registry , HELP!

anathematician

Hello! I'm in the process of buying a freehold house with an 800-year lease, dated from 1899, mentioned in the charges register. The vendor does not have a copy of the lease, and my solicitor says it should be removed from the title. How long would this process take, given the absence of the lease?

Full thread here for more detail: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6147647/victorian-house-in-sheffield-is-freehold-but-subject-to-a-lease

Many thanks.

jamielutz1987

Hi @Land_Registry
My wife and I signed and sent across a SEV A form to sever the joint tenancy on a mortgaged BTL we own, to the Land Registry a few weeks ago.
Do we get some kind of confirmation or letter from the LR once it's done?

Land_Registry

RUC said:

Hello LR,

I have two questions please;

1.       What forms should we use to register title?

2.       In view of the lost deeds do we have sufficient information to be granted absolute title? We are aware that until you actually have sight of the evidence you cannot give a definite answer but could you indicate if the evidence could be enough.

I would be grateful if you are able to offer any guidance.

Our Practice Guide 2 explains what forms are required 
As you already appreciate we can’t give a definitive answer re class of title. But it appears there are a number of issues surrounding the legal ownership and who it was actually vested in so the odds are tipped against an absolute title I suspect  

Land_Registry

mem1209 said: 

Hi @Land_Registry 
your advice how to track the case is greatly appreciated! Since my application for the acceleration of title charge amendment  no reply to the query and no change on the deeds. 
is the option to check change in deeds online  without paying £3 pound every time exist?
Thanks for feedback

No. You should rely on the conveyancer acting to keep you informed. If there is no conveyancer acting then it’s a case of waiting until the application is considered bearing in mind the Covid 19 impact 

Land_Registry

mem1209 said:

  Hi @Land_Registry 
I got an email from HMLR that I might have to wait SEVERAL MONTHS until the charge will be removed from my deeds! 
"The most delayed applications will be dealt with first as a matter of priority over the coming months. If you feel that your application is urgent, or is holding up a following transaction, you can  contact us  using  the Application Enquiry  service and we can consider expediting it.  If we approve your request, we will process your application sooner."
How do I contact HMLR  using  the Application Enquiry  service?? I already done 2 requests via the link you shared with me kindly.. Is it now something different??
PLEASE, Land_Registry , HELP!

No. The online contact allows you to get in touch to query progress or request an application to be expedited. 

If there’s an urgency and you request expedition you’ll receive an auto response. That will ask you to reply and attach evidence of the urgency