Land Registry Query

[horseshoes]

We're buying a very small piece of land from our next door neighbour; it's so we can make our drive wider so were knocking a deep stone wall down and erecting a fence in its place. I believe I need to add it to the land registry legally. Do I have to use an expensive solicitor or is there simple way I can do it?
T.I.A.

[The Builder]

Horsey... I'm afraid it's not just adding the extra ground to your Title, you would also have to "subtract" it from your neighbour's.
This would mean you dealing with both sides of the agreement.

Both Titles would have to be checked thoroughly as to Covenants/Restrictions/Mortgages etc etc............

Although, in principle, it's a simple transaction for probably a small sum of money, the legal issues could be complex.
On the other hand, it could be dead easy. The trouble is...........
...you just don't know.

[Buenchico]

Start here, by taking a look at the forms, to see whether you want to try to tackle the task yourself:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/registered-titles-part-transfer-tp1

While it's usual for two parties involved in a contract to use different solicitors (if they use solicitors at all), it's possible with simple transactions like yours for both parties to use the same solicitor, thus cutting down on fees. (When my neighbour asked if he could buy part of my garden, his ex-brother-in-law acted for both of us in the transaction, with my neighbour agreeing to pay all his fees).

Take great care to get the alteration to the title plan absolutely accurate though. The draft document that the solicitor sent to me didn't have the new boundary line exactly where my neighbour and I had agreed that it should go, so I had to revise the document and send it back to him. Then, several years later, when my neighbour came to sell his house, I understand that there were still queries raised by the buyer's solicitor about the exact location of the boundary. (I wouldn't be at all surprised if similar problems arise when my house is sold but, as I'll probably be dead by then, it will be for my executors to worry about, and not me!)

[horseshoes]

Thank you Chris. As always, you're so helpful. Perhaps I'd best just cough up.....just in case.

[horseshoes]

Thank you builder. I've been convinced I need to use the experts! Great advice from you again.

[The Builder]

Thanks Horseshoes.

Chris is absolutely right with his link. He would certainly go for it himself. And I guess I would too as I've had some experience of the process.
For you though, I think the possible pitfalls might be daunting.

;o)