Land Registry questions

phlurbb

Hi. Thank you all for the advice. I thought it would be straight forward to take over the council tax too but they want change of ownership proof. I won’t be moving in but eventually looking to rent it out. I completed a TR1 form and my solicitor confirmed it was filed but they said confirmation of transfer is approx 18 months so I don’t have anything in writing pending finalisation of the registration. Would I need to contact my solicitor for some kind of letter?

user1977

If they’re being difficult about it, you’ll need to ask them what they’ll accept. Are they not accepting a copy of the TR1?

Land_Registry

phlurbb said:

Hi. Thank you all for the advice. I thought it would be straight forward to take over the council tax too but they want change of ownership proof. I won’t be moving in but eventually looking to rent it out. I completed a TR1 form and my solicitor confirmed it was filed but they said confirmation of transfer is approx 18 months so I don’t have anything in writing pending finalisation of the registration. Would I need to contact my solicitor for some kind of letter?

Yes but do ask the council first as to what they will accept 

BuyCurious

Hi @Land_Registry / all

EDIT: I didn't want to replace my question - but see following message on my possible self-answer.

I would like to understand which party is required to do what during transfer of a property as part of managing the estate of a deceased person.

I am sole acting executor on my father's estate.  As part of the distribution dad's house will be transferred to my sister. The last / only transaction was in 1968 when the property was built - and it is not on the digital register.

My reading of things that would happen during a typical house purchase is that the seller doesn't undertake the completion of registration.  After completion the buyer side sends TR1, conveyancer guarantees of ID, etc to LR.

Overlaying that onto my situation my interpretation would be:

1. As executor I have to pass the property to my sister using form AS1 - and that the effective date of transfer for estate accounting purposes is the date in box 3 of that form. But I don't have to pass that form to Land Registry.
2. Days to weeks after the AS1 was completed my sister (via her conveyancer) then sends Forms AS1, FR1 and DL as a bundle to LR to commence the first registration process.
3. Registration may take weeks / months, but that is of no consequence to the estate executor.

Have I got that right? BTW, the transaction is entirely non-contentious.  I'm just wanting to understand when the executor can step away from the transaction and wrap up estate accounts.

BuyCurious

BuyCurious said:

Hi @Land_Registry / all

I would like to understand which party is required to do what during transfer of a property as part of managing the estate of a deceased person.

...

I think a bit of overnight thinking on search terms like "duty" has helped me find a possible answer in line with what I suggested above.

Land Registry Practice Guide says:

Practice guide 1: first registrations:

When registration is compulsory, the estate owner (transferee or grantee) ... must make the application.

...

Where there is an assent or a transfer by the personal representative the application should be made in the name of the assentee or transferee.

Also the legislation has:

Land Registration Act 2002:

...the [the transferee or grantee of that estate] ... must... apply to the registrar to be registered as the proprietor of the registrable estate...

I'm taking it that "in the name of" means by themselves or their representative / conveyancer.  Corrections welcome of course.

Land_Registry

BuyCurious said:

Hi @Land_Registry / all

EDIT: I didn't want to replace my question - but see following message on my possible self-answer.

I would like to understand which party is required to do what during transfer of a property as part of managing the estate of a deceased person.

I am sole acting executor on my father's estate.  As part of the distribution dad's house will be transferred to my sister. The last / only transaction was in 1968 when the property was built - and it is not on the digital register.

My reading of things that would happen during a typical house purchase is that the seller doesn't undertake the completion of registration.  After completion the buyer side sends TR1, conveyancer guarantees of ID, etc to LR.

Overlaying that onto my situation my interpretation would be:

1. As executor I have to pass the property to my sister using form AS1 - and that the effective date of transfer for estate accounting purposes is the date in box 3 of that form. But I don't have to pass that form to Land Registry.
2. Days to weeks after the AS1 was completed my sister (via her conveyancer) then sends Forms AS1, FR1 and DL as a bundle to LR to commence the first registration process.
3. Registration may take weeks / months, but that is of no consequence to the estate executor.

Have I got that right? BTW, the transaction is entirely non-contentious.  I'm just wanting to understand when the executor can step away from the transaction and wrap up estate accounts.

Who does what and when re the estate/sale is very much a matter for the executor/beneficiary and then buyer to decide/agree upon. 

For example you could assent it to your sister, trigger compulsory first registration and then she sells it. You could also sell it as the executor and gift her the proceeds afterwards but I suspect a buyer with a mortgage would want it registered first, so the assent is probably the way to go 
there’s no ‘have to’ is what I’m saying but needs probably must here 
Whether you, your sister or her conveyancer submit the FR1 is again up to you all 
Processing won’t start for months but that’s of no consequence for you as the executor. However it might be for sister/buyer so if she markets it and finds a buyer you/she can then ask for the FR1 to be expedited 

Skier_G

Hi,  SF627740 was registered to my sister in law on June 24, 2025 as a transfer from my deceased Father's estate. How do I find out who signed the transfer documents for the Estate?  Thanks.

Land_Registry

Skier_G said:

Hi,  SF627740 was registered to my sister in law on June 24, 2025 as a transfer from my deceased Father's estate. How do I find out who signed the transfer documents for the Estate?  Thanks.

Any transfer of a deceased sole owner would be completed/executed by the executor(s) as named in his probate. 
If you want to check the actual transfer (Assent - form AS1) then you can apply by post for a copy - Get information about property and land: Get a copy of the deeds - GOV.UK 
However, if you know who obtained probate then you have your answer already - Search probate records for documents and wills (England and Wales) - GOV.UK

DoraCat518

We bought a new house back in July 25. We didn't have a particularly good experience with our conveyancers throughout the process.

I set up a property alert at land registry before the sale went through. I received an alert at time of exchange  (mortgage company) but there have been no further updates since.  When I check online the property is still showing as having last been sold in 2001- obviously I appreciate that sometimes these things do take a while. Should I have had an alert  when we bought the property or is it only when the deeds are actually changed that the alert is triggered?

Is there any way I can ease my paranoia and confirm that the conveyancers have actually submitted the application? I've checked the letters sent at completion and they have not provided any application references, we've chased them to see if there is any update but they haven't responded (par for the course unfortunately). 

Land_Registry

DoraCat518 said:

We bought a new house back in July 25. We didn't have a particularly good experience with our conveyancers throughout the process.

I set up a property alert at land registry before the sale went through. I received an alert at time of exchange  (mortgage company) but there have been no further updates since.  When I check online the property is still showing as having last been sold in 2001- obviously I appreciate that sometimes these things do take a while. Should I have had an alert  when we bought the property or is it only when the deeds are actually changed that the alert is triggered?

Is there any way I can ease my paranoia and confirm that the conveyancers have actually submitted the application? I've checked the letters sent at completion and they have not provided any application references, we've chased them to see if there is any update but they haven't responded (par for the course unfortunately). 

You would get an alert when anything significant was submitted. You refer to an alert at time of exchange which suggests to me that was triggered by an Official Search of whole (OS1) as standard conveyancing need prior to completion. 

You’d then get another alert when the actual application to register the transfer/purchase was submitted - seems you didn’t get one which would tie in with your uncertainty re conveyancer actually submitting that application 
If they had submitted the alert would confirm date and the name of your conveyancer firm - press them for the title number and our case reference (ABR number). They should also have an estimated date for completion (by us). If they supply those you know it’s been lodged but your post suggests to me that they have yet to submit it 
You can also use our contact us form to enquire - provide specifics regarding property address/title number when doing so 
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-hm-land-registry