Urgent question regarding the Land Registry.

[landregistry]

Hello

Please see attached notification when I tried to look up a particular property which apparently exists.

What does it mean, and how would you find out details of the owner?

Thank you .

Sorry - here is the message that comes up:

Did you search by address or using a map?

It either means the property is unregistered (if the property hasn’t changed hands in a very long time it might not be registered) or that for some reason the information isn’t available online yet. It might not be available online because a change of owner is in process or because the land registry is far from perfect!

If you phone them they are usually helpful

Our house didn't come up, it hadn't been sold since the early 80's, the solicitor sorted it out before we exchanged.

Thank you. Yes I think this property may not have changed hands since the mid 1980s. Can anyone ring the land registry and find out?

If it’s not been sold since the 80s, it’s likely that it’s an unregistered title. The next time there’s a transaction, e.g. a sale or mortgage of the property, the converyancing solicitors would register it with the LR.

Yes, you can ring the Land Registry as a member of the public. I rang them on Thursday and they were very helpful. Their number is ‭0300 006 0411‬.

Thank you - stupid question - how would it be sold without a title - or rather, how does the owner prove it’s theirs?

Could a randomer phone up the Land Registry, without there being a sale going through? Or failing that, a solicitor?

Opening hours and further details are available here:

www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-hm-land-registry

Sorry Catamapella - missed your post.

Thanks - would they be able to send me a copy of any related document?

Do you think?

I have a log in for the HMLR portal as I work in Conveyancing. Happy to do a free map search for you if you PM me the details

Could a randomer phone up the Land Registry, without there being a sale going through? Or failing that, a solicitor?

Yes - I had a general query when I rang them and they didn't ask me for property details. They did ask for my name and a contact number (and maybe an email address, I can't quite remember), but it wasn't to check up on who I was.

No problem landregistry. Sorry I can't help with any more specifics, I know nothing about property, just happened to ring the Land Registry last week!

Thanks again Catamapella .

Thanks also @mintchick. I have sent you a message 😊.