Why can't I seem to buy our house title deeds online?

[MacmillanDo]

I don't know if I'm getting massively confused but ... I need to find out who (my neighbour or us) is responsible for a particular fence. I got the house title plan, but it just showed a red block on a street map, no real details.

So I was advised to get title deeds?

I've tried to find how/where to purchase them, but to no avail. I went through an independent company but got scammed! Now, have tried to go through a bonafide company and the title deeds aren't coming up as being an option to purchase...which has left me confused. Can anyone please shed some light on this and advise me where to look?

Thanks

Have you tried the government land registry site?
That would be the best place perhaps?

See here: Get information about property and land: Get a copy of the deeds - GOV.UK

Yes, I've tried

OP most houses these days don’t have title deeds in the traditional sense. The Official Copy title register available from the Land Registry (same place as you got the plan) may say something about the maintenance of boundaries, but it may not. Does the plan have any T-marks on it?

You can get a copy of the register and plan from Land Registry (£7 each) but the plan will probably only show a red box too. You might be best to phone them to let them know what you need: 0300 006 0411.

The plan doesn't have any T markings on it, now. Just a blob of red around the house.

So, i should get the title register? And what if there are no boundary suggestions...how do we resolve this sort of thing?

Are there no title deeds to the house anywhere?

Yes, get a copy of the title register. It will list any restrictive covenants and positive covenants which may include something about maintaining the boundary. If there are any relevant deeds mentioned in the register, you might then need to download copies of those. But the register is the first place to start.

The land registry (make sure you go through the gov.uk portal. Don't lay anyone to do these searches as its pointless) will have a title and an outline plan as you say for £7. You can order more detailed plans for £12 (although they might have gone up as they recently raised their prices). It's seperate and they will post it to you.

Otherwise your mortgage lender would usually have the actual title deeds..they aren't massively useful usually apart from having historical interest but in this case they may be handy to look at.

https://customerhelp.landregistry.gov.uk/forums/general-info-and-guidance/2948add6-060c-ed11-a81b-0022483f7f35

OP have a read of this. If your title register doesn’t say anything about the boundaries, then it’s basically a case of trying to sort it out with your neighbour.

This. Our title deeds are silent on fences (just the red lines you describe, indicating property boundaries). Neighbours wanted to replace the fence, we didn't really know who owned the existing ancient fence. They checked I was happy for them to replace it. Done and dusted.

Why do you need to find out @MacmillanDo who is responsible for the fence? Do you want to replace the existing one?

The red line on the title plan is not to scale and won’t tell you much. Usually you can buy scanned in title deeds on land reg otherwise you might find your conveyancer has some on file

If you have a boundary dispute you probs need a solicitor and surveyor. It’s not always as simple as looking at what plans say, more about the features on the ground

Thanks all, really helpful.

Our neighbour has just moved in and made noises that the wall that divides a part of our garden is our responsibility - he says the fence on the other side of him is his...

I wasn't aware it was ours. I thought it was shared. It needs work.

Hence the search for some clarity.

He's really nice, it's not contentious, but I'd like to keep it that way.

Turn it back on the neighbour and ask them to show you the evidence which indicates who owns what.

I'm going to do this.

I've just downloaded the 'Summary of the title' (the document I could get directly along with the title plan and it tells me nothing.

Ours don’t mention who owns the fences/hedges. We had the same when we bought our house. We found out that as no one knows for sure, everyone in our road has just assumed responsibility for the left side. All terraced houses.

The deeds will show, at most, who is responsible for marking the boundary. Marking the boundary doesn't mean providing or maintaining a fence.

Basically, if you want a fence then negotiate with your neighbour, if possible, or pay for one yourself.

If it is your boundary you can.put the fence on the boundary, if not put it just inside the boundary.

Ask the solicitor who did your conveyancing.

Have a look at your local Council’s planning portal for any previous planning applications to check if any previous occupants of either your or their house built it. Depending on how old it is you can view them online or make an appt to view at the Council’s offices.

I had a similar scenario with a wall between mine and my neighbour’s driveways. Turns out a previous occupant of their house had been granted permission to build the wall so it was their responsibility to maintain it.

My house has no indication of boundary ownership on it either, because it was a council house and is a terrace, and originally the LA would have been responsible for maintaining boundaries etc.. then as social housing changed and LA's started trying to cut costs, they passed responsibility onto tenants and when some were sold and others passed to housing associations... it all got blurry.

I've got the HA to agree the property they own to one side of me is their responsibility, including the boundary. The neighbour the otherside of me agrees we share the joint boundary (and so when we replace the fence, eventually, we'll share the cost) and he of course owns the one the other side as he's the end of the row.

Sometimes, you just have to sort it out yourselves!