Voluntary First Registrations
35% of land in the UK is still unregistered at the Land Registry. That is to say, evidence of legal ownership is documented through ‘deeds’ and not on the central Title Register that is held at the Land Registry. Various transactions that involve land now ‘trigger’ first registration. However, there are advantages in registering a property at the Land Registry even if such transactions are not likely to occur:
- Registration provides certainty as to the extent of the property owned and can make future transactions less complicated.
- An up-to-date plan of the area is provided by the Land Registry which can be of benefit for future operations involving the land.
- Registering land protects it against ‘adverse possession’ or ‘squatting’. This is where a third party takes occupation without the landowner’s consent and may, with unregistered land, be able to claim legal ownership after twelve years continuous occupation.
If you would like to find out more about how we could help you, please complete our online enquiry form or telephone us for some initial guidance.
