Disadvantages of Registering with Land Registery

I used to work for Land Registry for 6 years. I cannot really think of any DISadvantages to registering land. The Registry guarantees title to land - meaning that they guarantee the information they hold is correct. This facilitates a stable economy and it is much easier to buy and sell and mortgage property when you can guarantee you are the registered owner. If you chose to sell your house - it will make the process much faster, easier and technically cheaper (but this might be for the purchasers solicitors i think - as the land is already registered).

On top of all this - if you choose to voluntarily register land - you will get a reduced fee!! What more can you ask for.

A little tip though - the Registry is seeking to have a Complete register by the year 2012 - meaning that all land and property in England and Wales is registered by this date. This will probably mean they will offer free voluntary FIRST registration nearer this date - to complete the register.

Hope this Helps.

Registration is compulsory if you sell or mortgage your land/property.

If you do neither and the property remains in the family through inheritance, you will not hit one of these 'trigger' transactions above and therefore will not have to register.

However the Registry is trying to encourage voluntary registration (ie. when you do not hit the trigger points above) to complete the Land Register.

I'm sure I read in the paper once about some elderly man who hadn't registered his property, and when he went into hospital for an extended stay someone went to a solicitor and swore an affidavit to say that they owned his house, registered it at the Land Registry and sold it without him even knowing. I'm not sure that's true though, I may have dreamed it!!