House I am buying still registered to previous owner

molenpad

I'm in the middle of relocating to the south-west and I am early in the conveyancing process.

I have just found out that the title of the house I am buying is not registered to to the current owner. It is registered to the previous owner. House was purchased (cash I think, no mortgage) in 2021 by current owner. 

As it turns out, the solicitor I am working on did the purchase for current owner in 2021. I know this because they happily informed me when I instructed them.

This is obviously not ideal for me or the seller. The info I'm being told is that this is being expedited with the Land Registry. 

Should I be worried? I'm in no particular rush as I can move any time up to the deadline of my mortgage offer which ends in September. Was originally hoping to be moving in June though. 

babyblade41

if all is in order then LR can expedite if a sale is involved

Tiglet2

Yes, this does happen as Land Registry do have long backlogs of work, particularly if the property was a first registration, a transfer of part, new build transfer etc.  It seems like people are moving far more regularly now and don't think to wait until the title has been updated to their name before they start marketing.  Land Registry are constantly on the 'catch up', but whereas they won't expedite a transaction if it's just a case of waiting, they will expedite if there is a sale/purchase involved.

Your solicitor and the seller's solicitor can do all the other conveyancing work while they are waiting for the updated title.  Providing there are no other reasons/problems that are needed to ensure that all is in order, there should be no problem in obtaining the updated title before you exchange.

Mutton_Geoff

Land Registry are currently processing purchases made in the summer of 2021 

propertyrental

The delay is almost certainly due to the LR backlog.
This can be expedited - the LR have tried and tested process for this where a sale/re-mortgage etc is impacted.

There is a (very) small possibility that LR have found a prblem with the previous transfer, but your solicitor would have been informed if this was the reason for the delay since he was the conveyancer in that purchase.

dil1976

Mutton_Geoff said:

Land Registry are currently processing purchases made in the summer of 2021 

Really? I  purchased my house in December 2021 and got a copy from land registry that the ownership of my house was transferred on 17th March 2022

Tiglet2

dil1976 said:

Mutton_Geoff said:

Land Registry are currently processing purchases made in the summer of 2021 

Really? I  purchased my house in December 2021 and got a copy from land registry that the ownership of my house was transferred on 17th March 2022

Yours was probably a transfer of whole of an already registered property.  It is transfers of part (new builds and where land is split away from a title) and first registrations that are taking so long.

Mutton_Geoff

Yes, mine was a new build. Still nothing published by LR.

molenpad

Still waiting to hear on the outcome/progress of this. Solicitor hasn't yet started searches, I'm assuming because of this problem. 3 emails and 2 phone calls later and no one has got back to me. God I hate moving house!