Attention Land Owners! Is your land registered?
The Land Registry estimates that at present, the freehold ownership of just over 65 per cent of land in England and Wales has a registered title. This suggests that the proprietors of the other 35 per cent of land are relying on paper copies of deeds to prove their property boundaries. In Gloucestershire alone, the area of unregistered land amounts to 130,408 hectares. Relying on title deeds can be risky, as they can be faded, unclear, subject to wear and tear and are often many years old.
The Land Registry is the government body that maintains and develops the register of title to freehold and leasehold land in England and Wales and is currently encouraging land owners to submit a voluntary registration. Voluntary registration is a choice you can make today to give you greater certainty and security about what you own. There is no better way to safeguard ownership of land and property than by registering your title.
Although registration is currently not compulsory until land is sold or mortgaged, making a voluntary application brings many advantages to give you peace of mind. Registration is the ultimate title guarantee; it proves that you own your land. It protects you against claims on your land if someone were to try to encroach on it and it is the most effective way to bring all your documentation up to date. There is also the added bonus that your title register can easily be accessed online, reducing the need to store old and often confusing deeds.
To encourage land owners, there is currently a 25 per cent discount on the registration fee available for first time voluntary registration. However, it is unclear how long this promotion will last. There is a general view that land registration will become compulsory in the future and therefore the discount may be withdrawn and charges are likely to increase. The registration fee will depend on the value of your property and below is a table of the present charges:
Value of Property (£) |
Basic Fee (£) |
Reduced Fee (£) |
0 – 50,000 |
50 |
40 |
50,001 – 80,000 |
80 |
60 |
80,001 – 100,000 |
130 |
100 |
100,001 – 200,000 |
200 |
150 |
200,001 – 500,000 |
280 |
210 |
500,001 – 1,000,000 |
550 |
410 |
1,000,001 and over |
920 |
690 |
Moore Allen & Innocent can help you with the voluntary registration process by:
- establishing whether your property is already registered with the Land Registry
- providing a valuation of your property
- helping you to complete the registration form
- providing Land Registry compliant plans of your property with our digital mapping service
It must be noted that for legal advice, your solicitor should be contacted. For more information on registering your land, please contact Amy Herring on 01285 648115 or email amy.herring@mooreallen.co.uk .
This newsletter is produced for guidance only and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice. Accordingly no liability or responsibility for any loss or damage can be accepted by Moore Allen & Innocent or other contributors as a result of any person, company or other organisation acting or refraining from acting upon comment on this newsletter.
• Farm & Estate Management • Sales & Purchases of Rural Properties • Valuations • Estate Planning •
• Landlord & Tenant • Farming Agreements • Auctions • Compensation & Compulsory Purchase •
• Farm Buildings • Expert Witness • Planning & Development • Grants & Quotas • Agri-Environment •
• Woodland • Digital Mapping • Diversification • Employment • Payroll & Accounts •