Deed, title, etc

[maccboy]

My mum owns a property that the Land Registry have no details on. What is the next step I should take, please? Is it just a case of making an application and, if so, how does she prove ownership?

[StevieBee]

Had an arms length involvement with a bit of land a while back that was unregistered anywhere.

IIRC you need to prove uninterrupted ownership for the last 15 years and apply for a first registration.

[Nicetobenice]

You can do it without a solicitor but I'd definitely recommend using an experienced conveyancer.

If you have the original deeds it's pretty straightforward, if not you have to evidence your occupation - this could be a simple declaration if it's straightforward. You will probably be asked to back this up with an insurance policy if you ever come to sell.

Just had to do it myself and it created a bit of admin but wasn't too onerous or expensive.

[DKL]

If you don't have deeds they will only issue possessory title. Better than nothing but still need more time to pass before they will consider absolute title.
I had 30+ yrs of documented use from previous owners for part of my garden that came without title and that's all we could have. Keep meaning to try again.

[maccboy]

The building was in my dad's name and my mum transferred the ownership into her name when he died 19 years ago.

[Panamax]

maccboy said:

The building was in my dad's name and my mum transferred the ownership into her name when he died 19 years ago.

How does she know? How did she do that? Presumably done by a solicitor administering Dad's estate.

Your best bet is to try to track down that solicitor and see if they have the deeds.

[Panamax]

And thinking about it, if that was done 19 years ago I'd have probably expected the Title to become registered.

Was the property in joint names? If so, it will automatically have become Mum's sole property without any action.

[Panamax]

Is the address a simple one like 32 Acacia Terrace or a complicated one like Bideawee, Primrose Hill? The point being that you can do a "map search" at the Land Registry without an address.

[Panamax]

maccboy said:

The building was in my dad's name....

You say "building". What was it? Different from "land" or "property"?
Freehold or leasehold?

[maccboy]

I've rung the solicitors to see if they can find anything. It was in dad's name alone so mum changed it to hers. She wanted to get the deeds but failed when she tried on the land registry site. She actually used a scam site first, because that came up first when she googled land registry! Old people and technology eh?!! It cost her over £300 for them to say 'no'!

[Panamax]

maccboy said:

failed when she tried on the land registry site. She actually used a scam site first, because that came up first when she googled land registry! Old people and technology eh?!! It cost her over £300 for them to say 'no'!

Yes, just one flavour of the absolute bds who rip people off on their way to the Land Registry, Companies House, Passport Office, ESTA application and all the others. Absolutely outrageous. I'm sorry to hear she got scammed. £300 is absolutely taking the p155.

The government should make a law requiring Google to put official government sites at the top of any search lists.

[Nicetobenice]

maccboy said:

I've rung the solicitors to see if they can find anything. It was in dad's name alone so mum changed it to hers. She wanted to get the deeds but failed when she tried on the land registry site. She actually used a scam site first, because that came up first when she googled land registry! Old people and technology eh?!! It cost her over £300 for them to say 'no'!

Have you done a map search?

If it has been transferred in there time it will be registered.

[OIC]

Is this a residential property, commercial property, or mixed residential and commercial property?

How was the £300 paid?

Credit card hopefully.

It's feeling a bit weird so far, this one.

[maccboy]

Nicetobenice said:

Have you done a map search?

If it has been transferred in there time it will be registered.

Yes. If I select the building on the map (which shows the correct building nunber (16-18)) two options appear which are numbers 12 and 14.

[maccboy]

OIC said:

Is this a residential property, commercial property, or mixed residential and commercial property?

How was the £300 paid?

Credit card hopefully.

It's feeling a bit weird so far, this one.

It's commercial. She will have paid by debit card, unfortunately.

[Panamax]

maccboy said:

It's commercial. She will have paid by debit card, unfortunately.

Focus, dear boy, focus.

The £300 is neither here nor there. So it's a commercial property. You ned to either post up a lot more information or go and find yourselves a competent local solicitor.

[maccboy]

Panamax said:

Focus, dear boy, focus.

The £300 is neither here nor there. So it's a commercial property. You ned to either post up a lot more information or go and find yourselves a competent local solicitor.

If you read the OP, you will see that I'm merely asking what my next steps should be to help my mum get the deeds of her property. I'm perfectly focused, thank you.

[Panamax]

maccboy said:

If you read the OP, you will see that I'm merely asking what my next steps should be to help my mum get the deeds of her property. I'm perfectly focused, thank you.

Brilliant. End of thread. No need to ask if you don't need to know. Frankly, the whole situation as described has a certain aroma.

[maccboy]

Panamax said:

Brilliant. End of thread. No need to ask if you don't need to know. Frankly, the whole situation as described has a certain aroma.

So my next steps are...? Employ a solicitor? Make a registration request? Speak to the Land Registry?
Cheers!

[Panamax]

I think that unless you want to get heavily into the intricacies of property law the way forward is to engage a solicitor. Ideally the one who dealt with the previous 2019 transfer. In all seriousness, I hope this is helpful.