Help! I’ve Lost My Title Deeds

Matthew Butcher, Solicitor
 05 Jun 2019

Oh dear. Despite a thorough search of the house, attic and every possible hiding place, you cannot find the Title Deeds to your property. This may seem like a frightening proposition, but luckily, our team of experienced solicitors at Hague and Dixon can help.

Registered or unregistered title?

The first question we would need to pose would be whether the property was registered at HM Land Registry or not. We can do a search at HM Land Registry to find this out. If the Property is registered, it means that the title to the Property has already been presented to and recorded centrally by HM Land Registry with its own identifying title number. For a small charge, a copy of the registered title can be purchased and downloaded. These “Official Copies” are the modern equivalent of historic title deeds.

Unregistered title

The loss of unregistered title deeds can be more problematic, as they may be the only record of ownership for the Property. Unregistered title has never been recorded by HM Land Registry, and therefore the only way of proving ownership is to examine the deeds themselves, which can be quite difficult if they have been lost or destroyed. However, all is not lost!
HM Land Registry have a specified procedure, with strict requirements, to help in such scenarios. At Hague and Dixon we can help to try and “Reconstitute” the Title Deeds. We can guide you through the complexities of the Land Registry requirements and apply for first registration of the property. HM Land Registry will then consider the application based upon the specific merit of the application.

If you would like more information regarding a Reconstitution of title, or indeed any aspect of Conveyancing, please call us and ask to speak to one of our specialist Residential Property Solicitors.

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