Land registry question

[ComplicatedBrunette]

Any advice welcome.
I bought my ex husband out of the marital home, mortgage completed in April 2025. I paid my solicitor £360 for the land registry change.

Due to a huge change of circumstances, ive got to sell the house now. The estate agent emailed today to say that ExH was still listed!

I've emailed them with the receipt for the payment etc & to ask what on earth is going on. I want to make a complaint anyway as I requested a full disclosure of my records at the time but never received a response.

Essentially I want to know what recourse I have for them not doing this. What impact does it have that ExH is still listed on the land registry (other than delaying the house going on the market)?

They were shockingly bad during the process initially so I'm really sadly not surprised this has come to light.

Could it be timing. I think it is taking a long time for changes to register at the land registry from another thread I was reading.
Obviously the solicitor could be awful but just worth a thought.

Apparently (according to other threads on here) it is taking up to 18month for the Land Registry to amend details.

Land registry takes forever, our update took two years!!

We bought our house last february, it has only just been registered with land registry. We were told it could have been up to 2 years.

Im not in the UK and mine took 2 weeks some years ago but the conveyancing solicitor cost over 2k. Could your solicitor not be the right one for the job as in qualified to say they can do the change but not conveyancing so have to pass it over to another solicitor for that part?

There can be lengthy delays with land registry.

The land registry has a huge backlog they are working to clear. Try calling your sols and ask them if they have actually made the application to update the register. You can request it be expedited if you need it urgently to sell.

I'm not saying it's not a LR mistake or delay, but it could be that the application wasn't made when it should have been. Can you phone/email and ask if there is an application pending against your title, and when it was lodged?

LR are just taking absolutely ages to update the titles. I am pretty sure you can speak with them and explain the situation and they can expedite it quicker.

PPs are right that it will be the Land Registry. My mum bought in November 24 and hers still isn’t through yet. I believe it is sometimes possible to make a request to expedite the update but no idea if your circumstances would qualify. Worth asking your conveyancer, though I doubt they will feel very inclined to help if you’re being difficult - why do you want to”full disclosure” ( you aren’t entitled to that by they way, as even if you get the file solicitors are lowed to remove lots of items)?

Same story here. Two years for DD's property. DS's has just come through after 18 months.

I received an email from solicitors on a purchase which completed in Sept 23 relating to a charge they hadn’t paid to Land Registry so presuming it was only flagged when LR was updated. I am horrified it could take so long.

Land Registry are civil servants who take their time. There is no reason for it to take this long, but it does. And people just put up with it!

Nobody is being difficult.
They never once did security questions when I called & I'm 99% sure my ex mil called them pretending to be me as ex dh mentioned in passing something only me & the solicitors would know.

Thank you all, fingers crossed it's the LR backlog & not the solicitors

OP, don’t cross your fingers in case there actually is a problem. The Land Reg is slow but is improving and straightforward applications are often processed sooner - though it depends on which office deals with it etc. The Land Registry is only just going back to answering phones on a Friday : that was one of its ways of clearing backlogs.

The solicitors should be able to answer the question for you. If the application hasn’t been completed, ask them to download the pending applications list and send it to you - that will give you comfort that it’s been lodged and will show you when it went in.

When you know what’s going on, you can then ask about getting the application expedited if it fits the criteria.

I wouldn’t start off the call assuming they haven’t done the right thing but I’d definitely want to know more info.

Think what you like, I’m just being honest . You catch more flies it’s honey than vinegar…

Never heard of “security questions” on files either. I guess if you had reason to think someone was going to be able to get your details and calling you could ask to set something up but that’s definitely not the norm so you are unfair to hold that against them.