Part of garden still owned by previous house holder

[Anactoria]

We are currently in the process of selling our property and have just found out that a narrow strip of land at the bottom of our garden (approx 6ft) is covered under a separate deed which was never transferred into our names when we brought the property 14 years ago. It is still registered to the previous owner. Has this happened to anyone else and how was it resolved?

Go back to your solicitor and make him sort it out

I think you have a ransom strip. It stops you developing the land without having to pay the previous owners. This should have been picked up by your conveyancer.

Luckily the old conveyancers are still in business. An email has been sent, but I’m impatient and it’s going to be a long weekend!

That’s very poor of the original conveyancers - they need to sort this

I had something similar but owner of the small piece of land was probably long dead. It got resolved through an insurance policy. Quite cheap too.

Going through this for 18 months now..........Your solicitor will need to apply to the Crown to get the land disposed into your name. The crown will refuse as the land has been disposed to you, even though it hasn't been registered. Your solicitor will go back to them and the Crown will ask you seek further legal advise with a crown nominated solicitor. £££. The Crown will agree to dispose it to you with the previous owners agreement. The previous owner will be advised by their solicitor to sell it to you. You agree (you have no option really). Your solicitor will need to draw up paperwork £££, submit it to the crown for approval £££ then get the previous owners to sign. Your solicitor will then submit to the Crown £££, the Crown will approve £££. We're sitting at £4k legal fees and £5k to the previous owners to 'buy' the land from them. I'd have been cheaper building a fence! Honestly, take the house off the market till it's sorted. The Crown are arseholes!

@Seainasive

I had something similar but owner of the small piece of land was probably long dead. It got resolved through an insurance policy. Quite cheap too.

I tried the indemnity insurance option but because it was already disposed no buyer solicitor would touch it.

Can you put a fence at the 6ft marking and sell it with the land you do own?