CFs trying to fence in my neighbour's land.. need to help her register her property ASAP

[KineticSand]

Some falling out between neighbours on my road has caused us to check ownership with the land registry and it turns out some land is not registered as claimed. And some CFs who moved away 60 years ago have sent someone out of the blue to fence in some unregistered land.

When my neighbour bought her house 11 years ago it came with a garage and plot of land at the far end of the street. However this isn't reflected on the land registry and I've offered to help her register it ASAP as the CFs are putting up a fence and trying to claim some of the unregistered land, including some of hers.

I've offered to help her do it as she is not confident with legal stuff so now I have to find out how to do it! Really grateful for advice

Is the garage and land on her title deeds? Is it a separate title?

It's on her deeds yes

She needs to go back to the solicitor who dealt with the sale. Why wasn’t this picked up during conveyencing? Also the land registry people ime are very helpful so try contacting them.

Good point about the conveyancing, I'll tell her to go back to the same solicitor from the house purchase.

The land registry have been incredibly helpful over the phone.

If it’s on her deeds I think this is proof of ownership so she should be fine. Maybe ask the land registry people, they may want to see the deeds and then register it?

I know some neighbours of mine are currently claiming some unregistered land but their claim I believe has to be unchallenged for seven years before they can have it. Land registry wrote to me as a nearby neighbour to alert me and said if I felt it was my land to let them know.

Yes @CovidCorvid this is exactly what we are hoping for! We want her to be contacted as a neighbouring plot owner from the plot the CFs are trying to claim. Then she can object to their claim. But unless she's registered, she won't be asked. Currently her garage and plot appears unclaimed.

These garages and plots of land are down the far end of the road, not next to anyone's houses.

I think you just may need to be proactive then and contact the land registry rather than wait for them to contact you.

Yes exactly that's why I'm trying to help them register their land ASAP.

Do you mean be proactive and alert the land registry to the CF land grab as well? They advised us to get a solicitor to do that.

Yes, I’d tell the land registry myself. Not sure why they’re saying you need a solicitor to do that. 🤷‍♀️ If you have a copy of the deeds that should be what they need to see. Though the old conveyencing solicitor may be convinced to do it for free because it sounds like they’ve dropped a bollock by not picking this up years ago.

The land registry advised me to use a solicitor when i was speaking on my own behalf just as a local resident pissed off there was a land grab happening. I don't claim to own any of the garages or plots myself.

You're right my neighbour has deeds for her bit of land so that should be enough for the land registry and to object to the grab.

I've advised her to follow these steps:

www.gov.uk/registering-land-or-property-with-land-registry/register-for-the-first-time

And also to go back to her solicitor from when she purchased her house/garage/plot as they should probably have sorted this at the time