Land registry fraud?

GDB2222

Grizebeck said:

GDB2222 said:

Miri_J said:

I have heard of this land registry type fraud. There was a case in Wales where a whole load of companies were being registered to one street and it was causing terrible problems for the people there. I don't know if this article is of any help to you? It doesn't help with how to deal with the local council but it does suggest how to deal with the land registry issue. What if someone has registered a company at my address in the UK? - Uniwide Formations

There's also this on the government website: Report a company using your personal details without your permission - GOV.UK

This may be the BBC article I was thinking of, it's a very common scam and there are calls for something to be done about it. Bogus companies scam: 'We never knew our home was on the list' - BBC News

We had a tenant  who registered a company, with the registered office in his flat. Fair enough, I suppose.

But after he was arrested by the police, and remanded in custody long term, his brother (who lives in Albania) took over the company. He left the registered address in our flat. I have complained to Companies House, but they have not yet taken action. 

And they are unlikely to either 

@Grizebeck
Just in case anyone finds this thread, I have now heard from Companies House, and they have removed our address from the company.. They have actually altered the company's registered office to a default address at Companies House.

It took them just under 2 weeks.  I'm surprised that the Land Registry cannot do likewise, really. 

bedruzenka

GDB2222 said:

Grizebeck said:

GDB2222 said:

Miri_J said:

I have heard of this land registry type fraud. There was a case in Wales where a whole load of companies were being registered to one street and it was causing terrible problems for the people there. I don't know if this article is of any help to you? It doesn't help with how to deal with the local council but it does suggest how to deal with the land registry issue. What if someone has registered a company at my address in the UK? - Uniwide Formations

There's also this on the government website: Report a company using your personal details without your permission - GOV.UK

This may be the BBC article I was thinking of, it's a very common scam and there are calls for something to be done about it. Bogus companies scam: 'We never knew our home was on the list' - BBC News

We had a tenant  who registered a company, with the registered office in his flat. Fair enough, I suppose.

But after he was arrested by the police, and remanded in custody long term, his brother (who lives in Albania) took over the company. He left the registered address in our flat. I have complained to Companies House, but they have not yet taken action. 

And they are unlikely to either 

@Grizebeck
Just in case anyone finds this thread, I have now heard from Companies House, and they have removed our address from the company.. They have actually altered the company's registered office to a default address at Companies House.

It took them just under 2 weeks.  I'm surprised that the Land Registry cannot do likewise, really. 

That’s great that Companies House removed your address.
Unfortunately for me the land registry won’t remove mine as it can only be done by the company who put it there in first place.

Grizebeck

GDB2222 said:

Grizebeck said:

GDB2222 said:

Miri_J said:

I have heard of this land registry type fraud. There was a case in Wales where a whole load of companies were being registered to one street and it was causing terrible problems for the people there. I don't know if this article is of any help to you? It doesn't help with how to deal with the local council but it does suggest how to deal with the land registry issue. What if someone has registered a company at my address in the UK? - Uniwide Formations

There's also this on the government website: Report a company using your personal details without your permission - GOV.UK

This may be the BBC article I was thinking of, it's a very common scam and there are calls for something to be done about it. Bogus companies scam: 'We never knew our home was on the list' - BBC News

We had a tenant  who registered a company, with the registered office in his flat. Fair enough, I suppose.

But after he was arrested by the police, and remanded in custody long term, his brother (who lives in Albania) took over the company. He left the registered address in our flat. I have complained to Companies House, but they have not yet taken action. 

And they are unlikely to either 

@Grizebeck
Just in case anyone finds this thread, I have now heard from Companies House, and they have removed our address from the company.. They have actually altered the company's registered office to a default address at Companies House.

It took them just under 2 weeks.  I'm surprised that the Land Registry cannot do likewise, really. 

Wow thats really good and surprising 

RAS

bedruzenka said:

Hi,
I found out yesterday that a company purchased a commercial building and used my residential address on their title register 3 years ago!
I received a letter addressed to a company (I’ve never heard of) to my address from a council regarding a commercial building. 

In this letter they are threatening a legal action, putting a charge on my property..

I called the council and informed them it was a mistake, no such company at my address.
They informed me that according to the land registry the company is registered at my address and kindly forwarded me the copy of the tittle register.
I called the land registry and they confirmed it was true and not a mistake on their system.
They also told me they don’t carry out any checks and anyone can put any address there.
They won’t remove my address in connection with this company.
I’ve searched the company on the companies house, completely different address on there, not even the same council.

Why would anyone do this?
I’m not sure what to do now? Do I report this company for fraud?
Any advise appreciated 
Thank you

Can we unpack this a bit.

The Land Registry do NOT register Companies at any address.

What may have happened is

 Some neferious person registered a fraudulent company with a registered address at bedruzenka's address.
The fraudulent company bought a commercial premises. 
The local Council have used Companies House to link the fraudulent company to bedruzenka's address. 

So if bedruzenka follows the same procedure as GDB2222, Companies House may well remove the OP's address from their records. 

They can then go back to the Council and confirm that there is no link between them and the neferious person.

Reading other comments it seems that people contact the Land Registry who can do nothing, rather than Companies House who now have a protocol to deal with the issue?

silvercar

RAS said:

bedruzenka said:

Hi,
I found out yesterday that a company purchased a commercial building and used my residential address on their title register 3 years ago!
I received a letter addressed to a company (I’ve never heard of) to my address from a council regarding a commercial building. 

In this letter they are threatening a legal action, putting a charge on my property..

I called the council and informed them it was a mistake, no such company at my address.
They informed me that according to the land registry the company is registered at my address and kindly forwarded me the copy of the tittle register.
I called the land registry and they confirmed it was true and not a mistake on their system.
They also told me they don’t carry out any checks and anyone can put any address there.
They won’t remove my address in connection with this company.
I’ve searched the company on the companies house, completely different address on there, not even the same council.

Why would anyone do this?
I’m not sure what to do now? Do I report this company for fraud?
Any advise appreciated 
Thank you

Reading other comments it seems that people contact the Land Registry who can do nothing, rather than Companies House who now have a protocol to deal with the issue?

Which is a massive improvement from Companies House, who told me 18 years ago that they could do nothing and anyone could register any address with them and they wouldn't remove it unless the company concerned notified them of a change of address.

RAS

The rule changes came into effect in March 2024, in an attempt to stop the use of fraudulent companies. An appropriate address has to be one at which a notice, letter or reminder would be received by the company, not some random householder.

bedruzenka

RAS said:

bedruzenka said:

Hi,
I found out yesterday that a company purchased a commercial building and used my residential address on their title register 3 years ago!
I received a letter addressed to a company (I’ve never heard of) to my address from a council regarding a commercial building. 

In this letter they are threatening a legal action, putting a charge on my property..

I called the council and informed them it was a mistake, no such company at my address.
They informed me that according to the land registry the company is registered at my address and kindly forwarded me the copy of the tittle register.
I called the land registry and they confirmed it was true and not a mistake on their system.
They also told me they don’t carry out any checks and anyone can put any address there.
They won’t remove my address in connection with this company.
I’ve searched the company on the companies house, completely different address on there, not even the same council.

Why would anyone do this?
I’m not sure what to do now? Do I report this company for fraud?
Any advise appreciated 
Thank you

Can we unpack this a bit.

The Land Registry do NOT register Companies at any address.

What may have happened is

 Some neferious person registered a fraudulent company with a registered address at bedruzenka's address.
The fraudulent company bought a commercial premises. 
The local Council have used Companies House to link the fraudulent company to bedruzenka's address. 

So if bedruzenka follows the same procedure as GDB2222, Companies House may well remove the OP's address from their records. 

They can then go back to the Council and confirm that there is no link between them and the neferious person.

Reading other comments it seems that people contact the Land Registry who can do nothing, rather than Companies House who now have a protocol to deal with the issue?

Wrong. The company isn’t using my address at Companies House. They registered my address with Land Registry on the title’s proprietorship register. Companies house has nothing to do with this. I’ve already said the address the company is using on companies house is completely different from mine,not even the same council.

bedruzenka

This is a sample from land registry website. Where it says proprietorship register,  proprietor it states “company name” of “my residential address”. I don’t know how else to explain it. Hope this is ok to post.

RAS

In this particular case, Cornish Yarg may own the mortgage or have provided a secure loan om the property.

There is another case here in which the OP has just discovered a bankruptcy restriction listed against their property. Even though the bankruptee has the same name, it appears the OP has never been bankrupt. So they are now trying to disentangle their house from another person's bankruptcy proceedings.

bedruzenka

RAS said:

In this particular case, Cornish Yarg may own the mortgage or have provided a secure loan om the property.

There is another case here in which the OP has just discovered a bankruptcy restriction listed against their property. Even though the bankruptee has the same name, it appears the OP has never been bankrupt. So they are now trying to disentangle their house from another person's bankruptcy proceedings.

As stated that was a sample from land registry website. None of the names on there are real.