Your property is among the most important assets that you possess. Obviously, it is in your best interests to register your title to the land and safeguard your ownership. But who says it is you who owns this piece of land and not Mr. X over there? Enter the Land Registry.
Her Majesty’s Land Registry is the organisation which maintains all records related to registered land in England and Wales. It comprises regional offices, all of which have a Chief Land Registrar. Each office deals with the land records of a particular area.
Once a property is registered with the Land Registry, the office will have a complete record of all the details related to the legal title to the property, namely, the property address, the owner’s name, mortgages registered against the title and similar details.
Why do you need to register your land?
Registration of land is compulsory. Application for first registration takes place only during a sale/purchase, grant of lease, gift or mortgage. So there may still be a lot of unregistered properties in the UK if any of these transactions are not taking place on them, but unregistered properties are becoming increasingly rare.
It is advantageous for you to get your land registered, because then you have greater security regarding the property. Your ownership is now state-backed and you have protection against false claims of adverse possession.
The record of ownership holds the distinction of being the state recognised proof of ownership and can prevail over all other title deeds. An unregistered land will have no records of land registry and the contents of the title deeds at the time of purchase or sale of such land determine the ownership of the land at such times.
If you purchase a property that is not registered, you must get the registration done by law.
What powers does the Land Registry hold?
The Land Registry not only controls the registration of title to properties but also has the power to amend the registrations in case of a transfer of ownership. The Land Registry processes all the applications made for registration and changes in registration.
Services offered by the Land Registry
On payment of a small fee, official copies of register of documents related to property ownership can be obtained from the Land Registry. There is also an online service for registered users from where the documents can be downloaded and the fees are charged to an account. You may also choose to call the telephone services to order documents and carry out searches if you hold an account with Land Registry.
Bankruptcy searches, land charge searches and similar official searches can also be carried out with land registry via phone, post or even online. Land Registry offers index map searches online as well as by post. It also issues “practice guides” which act as general guidelines for making applications and procuring title to property.
Some services offered by the land registry are free while some are provided for a fee. In case of specific transactions where an application for registration is not submitted, a senior registrar may be able to give an opinion about completing such a transaction. You can pay through a debit or credit card.
Land registration gives you greater security and simplifies the process of conveyancing.
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