Should conveyancers who supply complete and accurate data to HM Land Registry be charged lower fees than those who do not? That is one question being asked in an open call for evidence on simplifying the registry's 'unnecessarily complex' fee structure. Other questions on which it is seeking views include the possibility of setting fees differently for specific groups of users.

The call for evidence on the Future Fees and Charging is the first stage in a programme to examine reforming the fee structure, which has remained essentially the same since HM Land Registry's inception in 1862, the agency said. 

The review, launched earlier this month, asks respondents to answer questions based on three themes:

  • Modernising and simplifying the fee structure.
  • Ensuring fees are fair and reasonable.
  • Supporting the land and property information agenda and encouraging innovation through better and more open access to data.

The call for evidence will run until 5 April. The organisation will then respond with detail on future stages of the review.

Simon Hayes

Hayes: 'Our fees and charging structure has become unnecessarily complex'

Source: HMLR

Chief executive and chief land registrar Simon Hayes said: 'Our fees and charging structure has become unnecessarily complex. We want to seek views from a wide audience to ensure that the way we charge for our services supports our customers as well as the delivery of our strategy. 

'Our fees and charging structure has not significantly changed since its introduction 160 years ago, and as a result is no longer properly aligned to the way in which the world and the property market works. It is unnecessarily complex, hard to understand for both professional customers and others, and does not work in support of our wider objectives. Our sense it that this is a view which is fairly widely shared across the sector.'

 

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