debt, restriction on debtor's house deeds, issues
debt, restriction on debtor's house deeds, issues
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Discussion

Blown2CV

Original Poster:

31,639 posts

232 months

Wednesday 6th July 2022
quotequote all
I took someone to small claims years ago and won. He claimed poverty despite having 3 rental properties. So, the only course of enforcement action was that I could take was to place the debt as a restriction onto each of his rental properties (it couldn't be a charge because the debt was against him, and the properties were jointly owned with his wife). However, I can see that one of these properties was sold in January this year, and no resolution was made to me regarding the debt. The new deeds show the new owner and no restriction mentioning me. What could have happened? I presume I have lost any redress through this particular sale now as the money will have gone to him. What might my options be?

The restriction wording was:

restriction said:
RESTRICTION: No disposition of the registered estate, other than a disposition by the proprietor of any registered charge registered before the entry of this restriction, is to be registered without a certificate signed by the applicant for registration or their conveyancer that written notice of the disposition was given to <Blown2CV> at <his gaff>, being the person with the benefit of an interim charging order on the beneficial interest of <shady scumbag> made by the County Court at <location> on <date> (Court reference <blah>).
I'd like to hope that I am not pissing in the wind as he clearly has money from the sale proceeds, and this few thousand quid debt is not insignificant to me. How can morality win here...?

Willhire89

1,462 posts

234 months

Wednesday 6th July 2022
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IANAL

It sounds like you must have had legal assistance to get the restrictions put in place - the responsibility to adhere to that should then fall to both the vendor and purchasers solicitors. I don't know where the restriction would be registered but it would be good to think it was with Land Registry?

Is the sold property nearby? If it was I would call round there and ask the new owners for their conveyancing solicitors contact and tell them why - they have done nothing wrong but their solicitors may have dropped the ball.

Access to the vendor and his money might be more fruitful through the a purchaser that wants this to go away and have 'clean title'

You can add markers to properties on the L R site and I would be doing this for the others

IA still NAL

vikingaero

13,215 posts

198 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
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I'm fairly sure that restrictions on properties that are jointly owned are pretty pointless if only one of the joint owners is liable.

Years ago I remember helping out at CAB and giving advice to those in credit card debt where some companies were getting CCJs and applying for restrictions. There was a notice that went around saying that if the property was jointly owned, all the solicitor needed to do was to sell the property, disburse the funds, and if they wanted (ie a good solicitor would, but they didn't have to), they would notify the person/company responsible for the restriction that the property had been sold.

Pro Bono

685 posts

106 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
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Blown2CV said:
The restriction wording was:

restriction said:
RESTRICTION: No disposition of the registered estate, other than a disposition by the proprietor of any registered charge registered before the entry of this restriction, is to be registered without a certificate signed by the applicant for registration or their conveyancer that written notice of the disposition was given to <Blown2CV> at <his gaff>, being the person with the benefit of an interim charging order on the beneficial interest of <shady scumbag> made by the County Court at <location> on <date> (Court reference <blah>).
This is a common situation. If you read the wording carefully, you'll see that it simply requires the purchaser to provide a certificate that you have been given notice that he's bought the property. In practical terms, therefore, such a restriction is pretty useless.

The certificate would (or should) have been sent to your address as registered on the relevant register, which may now be out of date, so that you never received it.

However, if you still have a charging order registered against his other properties you might consider applying to the court for an order that one of the properties be sold, so you can get paid. The mere threat of such an action might persuade him to cough up.

OutInTheShed

14,412 posts

55 months

Friday 8th July 2022
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Speak to a firm of debt collectors.

Blown2CV

Original Poster:

31,639 posts

232 months

Wednesday 31st August 2022
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Pro Bono (poster above) got in touch with me and the debt is now recovered. Great experience and the desired outcome reached. Would highly recommend using him if you have a similar issue!

Canon_Fodder

1,775 posts

92 months

Wednesday 31st August 2022
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Excellent news,

We do have some really excellent contributors on the forum.

Nothing wrong with people chipping in with their amatuer opinions on things, but it's always clearly obvious when there's a professional in the room and Pro Bono's posts are always full of knowledge and good advice.

mattyprice4004

1,342 posts

203 months

Wednesday 31st August 2022
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Blown2CV said:
Pro Bono (poster above) got in touch with me and the debt is now recovered. Great experience and the desired outcome reached. Would highly recommend using him if you have a similar issue!
Brilliant result! Well done biggrin

CraigyMc

18,369 posts

265 months

Tuesday 6th September 2022
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Canon_Fodder said:
Excellent news,

We do have some really excellent contributors on the forum.

Nothing wrong with people chipping in with their amatuer opinions on things, but it's always clearly obvious when there's a professional in the room and Pro Bono's posts are always full of knowledge and good advice.
Never heard of him but he's now on the list of helpful people along with agtlaw and a few others.