If your property is registered at the Land Registry, there will be an Official Copy of Register available for you to obtain, these are held electronically and can be ordered via the Government website.

Within the Official Copy of Register you may also find reference to other documents, such as deeds, transfers, conveyances which all make up the “Deeds for the Property”.

The property register is broken down into three main sections;

Section A: Property Register

This section will show the address of the property, and it usually refers to a title plan showing the boundaries. If the property is a flat or an apartment this section will reference the registered lease, the term of the lease and what floor the property is located on.

In this section you may also find some rights that the property benefits from or declarations as to boundary features, for example. It may also refer to conveyances or transfers of the land which include further rights affecting the property such as rights of way over shared driveways/ pathways etc.

Section B: Proprietorship Register

This Section will show who the owner of the property is and their registered address. You will also find the quality of the title (e.g. title absolute, possessory, good leasehold, etc). Section B will note any restrictions or notices that the property is subject to. This could be in favour of a charge where written notice is required in order to remove the same or where a certificate of compliance is needed for a management company, to name a couple.

A restriction will also be added if you have purchased the property as tenants in common, so that both proprietors have to be party to the sale, or it will note that a declaration of trust has been entered into at the time of the purchase.

Section C: Charges Register

The charges register would detail any mortgages or additional charges registered against the property. This section will also include any covenants that may affect the land and where to find these (such as conveyances/ transfers or additional deeds).

The transfers/ conveyances are historic deeds for the property which usually include the full details of what is being transferred with the property, these deeds usually list the following;

  • rights that the property benefits from
  • rights reserved to third parties
  • restrictive covenants which are legal obligations that run with the property. These tell you what you can and cannot do at the property and if additional consent is required.
  • additional obligations and responsibilities such as contributions to shared driveways, maintaining and repairing pipes and joint services or if you are responsible for paying a rent charge or management fee for maintaining the estate
  • It is usual that there is a plan included with these additional deeds which will establish which boundaries are for you to maintain.

These deeds run with the land and property, it is important to review these along with the Register to establish your full responsibilities and to ensure that the property has and will be used for the intended purpose whilst complying with the obligations and being able to exercise the rights as noted.

Additional Section: Schedule of Restrictive Covenants

Some Official Copies of the Register will include a final section which is the schedule of restrictive covenants, which is where previously referred to deeds such as conveyances, transfers and deeds have been consolidated and extracted directly in the Register as opposed to the additional deeds being required.

You will be legally obligated to comply with the restrictive covenants that run with the land and property, and it is important you familiarise yourself with these.

Conclusion

The Land Registry Official Copies of Register are designed to assist in homeowners having one place to locate all the rights, conditions and covenants that affect their property, where they are kept electronically and readily accessible. If you are buying a property, we will review these documents on your behalf and break them down in our reports to you to ensure you have the knowledge of what you are purchasing before you proceed with your purchase.

Next Steps…

If you have any questions regarding this blog, or any other Conveyancing matter, please get in touch by calling 01530 564498 or email l.bourne@timms-law.com

For more information, visit our Conveyancing webpage here.