House Property Deeds

[davidk65]

When I finished paying for my house, the building society stored the deeds until I asked for them, then the deeds came to me in a large package. I have been told recently there are now no hard copies of Property Deeds as it is all on line".
I find that hard to believe this is the case. In my experience paper work is the stuff of life to solicitors and the like. I know that you can go on line to the Land Registry and get copies of the registry documents at a price, but Property Deeds!!

[The Builder]

Original Deeds and Conveyances are worth having if only for historical interest.

Solicitors deal electronically with The Registry Office now.
If a property hasn't changed hands for a very long time, there may be no Land Registry entry. Then, paper deeds are used prior to first registration.

[Bazile]

My building society sent me the deeds , even though i didn't ask for them

[The Builder]

Solicitors do as well, Baz.

Their vaults get bunged up otherwise ;o)

[ToraToraTora]

for most property deeds are now irrelevant, the land registry record take precedence anyway.

[teacake44]

My building society kindly informed me that it was only going to cost me £28 pound a year for them to store my deeds, and this would be taken from current account. :0) I kindly informed them that I would be sure to find room for them without charge so please forward. :0)

[woofgang]

You still can get a certified paper copy of your house deeds if needed for legal purposes, or an uncertified copy that you can download and print off and is cheaper and yes, once the house is registered online and the details are correct, the old paper stuff is not worth ha ha the paper it is printed on.

[djtdjt]

I purchased a property in May this year, also told deeds online, I was rather surprised because they are important documents, would prefer old fashioned paper copy.

[woofgang]

as i said if you want a paper copy you can get one easily...either a cheaper download to print out yourself or a more expensive certified copy for official use. If you do get a copy make sure you use the right link, there are many websites out there that will do the job for you and charge through the nose for it. Its this one https://www.gov.uk/get-information-about-property-and-land/search-the-register

[davidk65]

Lots of valuable comments on Property Deeds. Thank You All.
From my own records I have found some information that may help others.
BACKGROUND: To enable us to purchase the house I obtained a mortgage from Abbey National. Every year after the purchase Abbey wrote to me saying they had the deeds in their safe keeping and for which there was no charge. In the ensuing years, it had escaped my notice that the "yearly" letters from Abbey had ceased and that Abbey had been taken over by Santander UK Plc. At that time (2017) Santander appeared to be getting a lot of "bad press" and I decide to find out the location of our deeds. After some initial problems the deeds where found and returned to myself. Since starting this thread, I discovered two letters one to my wife and to myself from the Land Registry (our property is in joint names hence the two letters). The letter states a number of interesting things (i) The Land Registry confirms that the property is no longer subject to mortgage. (ii) They can supply a copy of the registered title on line or post for a small fee. (iii) They do not hold paper deeds. The register is electronic. They add a note: " the paper deeds are normally returned to whoever sent them to them when the property was first registered. They also provided a free property monitoring service called Property Alert. See http://www.gov.uk/guidance/property-alert.
However I am still confused on the part the Land Registry plays in this for example: What is the situation where the property is leasehold? In my deed pack there are all sorts of documents including a copy of the lease, which I had never seen before the deeds arrived. So although I have the Deeds sort of making me a "free man" I am still legally bound by the lease.

[woofgang]

is your property freehold or leasehold?

[davidk65]

Hi woofgang.
Our property is leasehold.
What puzzles me is the letter from the Land Registry confirming that the bank had no further interest in the property never mentioned a lease. Of course we knew the property was not freehold but had no idea of all the terms of the lease, the all important small print. From a house owners point of view, what is most important the deeds or the lease? Currently being in dispute with lease owner, the lease is of prime importance and without a hard copy of the lease, found with the deeds, I was in difficulties.

[The Builder]

Here, David...

https://landregistry-deeds.co.uk/lease/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAq97uBRCwARIsADTziya-irrJnJ6HUx29bNoAazF7nY0TFhzlG25_FKOGC-A44HOUNzYmoeUaAvW0EALw_wcB

Much the same as freehold, but costs more :o(

Your solicitor will confirm. :o)