how do I find the deeds to my house?

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

Hi ... I am hoping that the combined wisdom on MN can help me, as I have not got that far with Google.
My neighbour is about to sell his property and I think he is planning to include my hedge in it. I have no proof that it is mine apart from the fact that it has always been accepted as so ... I am hoping there is something in the deeds. Neighbour is very aggressive and I am scared of him so hoping to find something in writing. He shouted said, about a year ago, that his architect had drawings which proved that the hedge is his. I cannot believe this, but, as I said, have no proof to the contrary. I didn't argue at the time as my DD was very frightened and crying, as was I. The hedge on the other side of the property belongs to those neighbours, so surely this one is mine?
I contacted my mortgage company, who told me that all records are kept electronically at the Land Registry ... am hoping there is something there that will help.

also your solicitor should have a copy

Did you get a copy from your conveyancers? Usually there's a plan showing the edges of the land and responsibility etc.

I think there's also a standard thing that you're responsible for either the left or the right fence/hedge ... Can't remember which. Sorry!

If you bought your house in the last twenty four years it would be registered at the land registry and all info from the deeds would be held there. Physical deeds are becoming a thing of the past. Ask a solicitor to download official copy entries and title plan for your property from the Land Registry (or you can do it yourself on Land Reg website for a small fee) and that should reveal who owns and is responsible for the hedge.

Very easy to do it yourself but make sure you go to the official site, as with other government bodies there are lots of cunning websites that look official but aren't and charge you more.

Link Here

You need the official plan held on record by the Land Registry, an architect's or surveyor's plan could be drawn up to show anything, but if it's not registered properly then he can't make it stack up.
Actually not quite true as I do currently know of someone having to take legal action because he sold part of a property and for whatever stupid reason, the plan he approved at the time, which was registered, now denies him access to the bit he kept. He's not very bright (and nor is his original solicitor by the sound of it)

I don't think it does necessarily follow that it's always to the left or the right, or with fences that it's the side with the posts. People do all kinds of things and you have to check to make sure you're getting it right.

If you find out that the hedge belongs to you I'd drop a line to his estate agents pointing that out.

be aware that the land registry info may not actually answer the question!

there is no system to this, you may own all of your boundaries, or none.

but the first thing is to get the info that is held on your property and go from there.

There's a very good website with discussion board called Garden Law if you need further information.

If you have a mortgage the original paper ones are usually with the building society (and maybe even after its laud off if you opt to do so). They'll make you a copy at a cost so Land Registry will almost certainly be cheaper.

I contacted the building society, who told me that there are no paper deeds any more and gave me my Title Deed number to follow it up further but couldn't suggest how. (May not have got the most knowledgeable girl on the phone).
Solicitors have been taken over twice and I am dreadful at filing letters and do not expect anyone to be so unpleasant ... naïve ...

La belle, just put your title deed number into the land Registry and order a copy online, it's dead simple and should mark with a "T" those boundaries linked to your property.
If your neighbour is nasty less than civil, maybe it's a good thing he is selling and hopefully you can "trade up" to some nicer neighbours that will be kind to the hedge no matter who owns it!

Everyone is pointing in the right direction here and is often a good idea to check what is registered against both your own and your neighbour's title although in the latter case sometimes it can help if they do that themselves less they accuse you of being a nosey neighbour for example?

The key thing to remember is that the title plan is very unlikely to show anything other than the general boundaries to the title.
IF T marks are referred to then they would appear in the register itself or in documents/deeds (if any) as referred to.
In most cases there will be no mention as to who is responsible for which boundary
The understanding that it is always the left (or the right) is flawed as that is not the case and as others mention you may be responsible for all or none or any combination of boundaries.

Our online guidance www.landregistry.gov.uk/public/boundaries explains this far better than I can and also provides additional information as to other factors which can come into play when trying to agree a way forward, namely what the previous owners said when they sold or who actually put the fence, wall, hedge in place.

So, have a read of the guidance and check what information you already have or is available online. If the neighbour is selling and intends to advise the new owners that he has maintained the hedge then that may not be an issue as you can approach them afterwards and go through the information (if any) and guidance and agree a best way forward with them, rather than him? - it may not be the first thing to discuss but something to discuss soon afterwards perhaps.

One small caveat of course is that if you and the neighbour are in dispute over the hedge/boundary then he may be obliged to reveal this to his buyers. This can have an impact on a sale so something to consider in some cases as well.

Do you want the hedge? Do you want to maintain it? Are there any posts along the line of the hedge? Which side are the roots on? Is the hedge large/wide and does it impact on the amount of land you own?

Thank you for your replies ...

Yes I want the hedge. It is large and wide and screens us from horrible neighbours. Can't see which side the roots are on. About 5 years ago horrible neighbour put up a fence on his side, about a foot away from the trunks (hedge is a line of 2-3 m beech trees), to 'keep our dog out of his garden' ... she had, at least once in her 12 year life so far, wandered in over the rather scappy existing fence. My husband, maybe 3 years ago, extended the line of the hedge down to the road by planting some small shrubs, then last year wanted them somewhere else and moved them ... neighbour was accusing him to villagers of 'stealing his hedge' although we bought and planted those plants.
Am hoping that he doesn't want a dispute to affect sale; he would be stupid to start something, because any criticism of us would put off his buyers ...

where was this existing old fence you mentioned?

Are there any old fence posts in the ground?

Is the boundary clear in front of the house? and/or at the bottom of the garden?

Are you two detached houses?

It is so easy to order copy plans from the land registry, just knowing the address, that you might as well order copies, today, for your house and for your neighbour's.