Registering an unregistered property

Jacklob

Can anyone give me the timescales of registering an unregistered property with the land registry. The title deeds are available. 

loubel

Over a year

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-processing-times

propertyrental

loubel said:

Over a year

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-processing-times

unless another transaction (eg a sale, or re-mortgage) is dependent on the registration, in which case the LR can be asked to 'expedite' the application ie move it up to the top of the list.

peterhjohnson

I sold an unregistered property and bought registered back in 2019. From offer to completion took 3 months. There was a week delay at one point but that was due to another part of the chain. My old place being unregistered seems to have had no affect on timescales or costs

Charlies_Mum_2

We purchased our property in Dec 2021 and are still waiting for 1st registration.

Tiglet2

peterhjohnson said:

I sold an unregistered property and bought registered back in 2019. From offer to completion took 3 months. There was a week delay at one point but that was due to another part of the chain. My old place being unregistered seems to have had no affect on timescales or costs

Charlies_Mum_2 said:

We purchased our property in Dec 2021 and are still waiting for 1st registration.

There is a vast difference between these two experiences.   It should be noted, however, that @PeterJohnson was selling and would therefore have little knowledge on how long it took the Buyer's solicitor to get the title registered, which they would do as part of their post-completion work.  

It was probably nothing to do with the pace of work by the respective solicitors, but rather, that one owner had all the deeds and documents going back to the first owner and there was an obvious trail of transfer of ownership from the first owner to the present day owner (Epitome of Title).  It is easy in this case for the solicitor to submit all relating paperwork to the Land Registry, and subsequently the Land Registry to register the property.

Obviously if there are missing deeds and documents which cannot connect the transfers from first owner to current owner, there are going to be lengthy delays until suitable evidence and/or Statutory Declarations are provided to the satisfaction of the Land Registry.

Jacklob

Thankyou for all the replies. It looks like my brothers mother in law was the sole owner of an unregistered property. She has just passed away and the property will pass to her husband via the will. It looks,  however that he might not live that much longer. He will not accept that the property goes to anyone else in his lifetime. There is no sale involved at the moment but this could all get a bit messy.

propertyrental

Jacklob said:

Thankyou for all the replies. It looks like my brothers mother in law was the sole owner of an unregistered property. She has just passed away and the property will pass to her husband via the will. It looks,  however that he might not live that much longer. He will not accept that the property goes to anyone else in his lifetime. There is no sale involved at the moment but this could all get a bit messy.

Why 'messy'? If the property passes to brothers mother in law's husband in will, then once IHT is paid (if relevant) and probate is granted, then property can be registered in husband's name.

Yes, this may take time due to LR time-scales (and assuming all deeds/paperwork is in order).

If husband dies during this process, and his executors and/or beneficiaries wish to sell, then again once probate is granted they can request LT expedite the registration. But husband may live longer than you anticipate....

user1977

Jacklob said:

He will not accept that the property goes to anyone else in his lifetime.

To be fair, there's no particular reason why he ought to!