Land Registry says its hub 'saves conveyancers hours'

Front-loaded support for complex and large-scale property applications has saved conveyancers who have piloted the new service hours, HM Land Registry has said.

The agency announced a 'specialist support services hub' for complex applications in a blog post earlier this month. The hub provides links to five teams: application management service; ask for guidance; developing estate service; large-scale applications; and large-scale voluntary first registrations.

Land Registry said it was unable to provide legal advice or comment on a point of law, but using one of its pre-submission services could help avoid requests for information (known as 'requisitions'). According to the blog, service trial participants estimated that the specialist support saved them between half an hour and two hours per application. 

Barry Sankey, a conveyancing solicitor at consultant firm Nexa who has handled several complex applications, welcomed the new support.

He told the Gazette that 'it can be daunting to work out how to handle complex and large-scale applications as a practitioner, as they are typically infrequent and procedures can change'.

The most complex registration, Sankey recalled, was a voluntary registration of properties in Warwickshire, with unregistered titles dating back to the late 16th century and reign of Elizabeth I. 'In consequence the deed themselves, due to the parties involved, were potentially more valuable than the properties involved,' Sankey said.

'Back in 2018/19, I was fortunate to find help within Land Registry and we were able to provide a certification process so the original deeds could be retained in secure archives, and imaged copies be submitted and integrated into each resultant title. That process was, however, achieved with the support of contacts in Land Registry gained over my four decades’ work with [the agency] and that’s not available to every conveyancer or firm.'

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