The land registry holds digital records of land and property when it is registered for the first time. The originals are sent back to whomever lodged them. If you are trying to find your title deeds, they may well be with the solicitor that acted for you when the property was purchased. If the property was already registered when you bought it the solicitors may not have the records. If the property has been bought and sold many times, then it may be extremely difficult to track down the deeds.
The title deeds to a property with a mortgage are usually kept by the mortgage lender. They will only be given to you once the mortgage has been paid in full. But, you can request copies of the deeds at any time.
Do you need your title deeds?
If the property you own is already registered with the land registry, then you do not need the deeds in order to prove that you own the house, but you may need them in order to clarify the extent of your property and its boundaries.
Property Burdens
The title deeds will also include a list of property burdens. These are any obligations to the property that the owner has. Property burdens can include:
Access and rights of way
Restrictions on the property (such as using it to run a business)
Restrictions on altering the property
Any issues regarding roads or byways that pass through the property
Changing title deeds
If the property is in joint ownership, and one person buys out the other, then the title deeds will need to be amended to reflect this change. A solicitor will need to be instructed to work on your behalf to make any changes to a title deed.
Inheriting a property
If you inherit a property from a relative, their solicitor will normally have the title deeds changed to mirror the wishes of the relative.
If you have any issues regarding a title deed, or require changes to be made, it is imperative that you instruct a highly competent, experienced solicitor to work on your behalf.
For all questions regarding purchasing commercial property contact Kaiser Solicitors for a no-obligation quote.
