First Registration - Expedition approved appliction

Hi, my partner and I are trying to understand how quickly a Land Registry Lawyer can look at an expedited application that was made for a new title DN788390. We understand that the case worker has completed all actions required, including a site ordnance survey, and now we are just waiting for the title to be signed off by LR legal. We have sold our property and we were forced to break our chain and move into temporary accommodation. We are now waiting to hear every day with no real end in sight as we cannot complete our onward purchase without the title. Is there anything you can do to help us please to expedite this further? The purchase is at risk as we are literally sofa surfing here until we hear back. Thanks so much for any help or advice you may be able to provide.

Hi Ben - sorry to read of the issues you are facing. Your understanding is correct. I can't be definitive re timescales but have escalated the referral with the lawyers to ensure next steps are taken as swiftly as possible. Those next steps are likely to be in the next few days but I can't be more exact than that. Note - in my experience next steps, if all is in order with the application to claim the land, include contacting neighbouring registered owners and asking them if they wish to object or consent to the registration. If those checks are required the notice period is 15 working days and I mention this purely to flag the possibility re timescales and how the wait might still be stretched

We’re testing a new service that will give citizens the ability to check the progress of an application online. These are citizens who have applied themselves and those who have applied through a conveyancer. The user research would involve a one to one Teams call lasting 45-60 mins If you are happy for me to email you the details to consider please respond to this post. There’s no obligation to respond here or to agree to the call once the specific details have been emailed. Purely an Ask on our part.

Thanks so much for the reply Adam and for the escalation, it is much appreciated. Are you able to let us know please if those extra checks that you mention i.e. contacting neighbouring registered owners will happen as a mandatory next step? The land in question is within the current curtilage of the property we’re trying to buy so perhaps that won’t be necessary and we can hope for a shortened process.

Ben - no and I flagged the possibility of the wider checks merely to manage expectations as some will see the referral/next steps as the end of the process and that is not always the case. As you state they may not be necessary but that is why such matters have to be reviewed by a lawyer for example to decide what we can or cannot accept re such claims. Things can seem obvious to those in situ for example but land law in England and Wales is based very much on documentary title first and what's in situ second. If they both align then great but the process and due diligence must be observed to enable us to provide a guarantee re title ownership. Hope that helps and fingers crossed the wider checks are not deemed necessary and matters can conclude much sooner than my worse case scenario

Thanks very much, Adam. I hope you don’t mind if I check back in with you mid-next week to see if there is any progress. In the meantime, have a good weekend.

Ben - by all means post again next week. You appreciate the limitations re what I can share in a public forum but I can at least offer some form of update re progress or not. Have a good weekend too

Hi Adam, I hope you’re well? Please can I ask for an update on title DN788390? Things are precarious now for us in our temporary accommodation as we’ve learned that we won’t be able to stay here much longer. Specifically, I’m hoping today that you will be able to confirm for us please that this has been picked up a LR lawyer? Are you also able to advise yet if the lawyer or case worker will request any wider actions i.e. contacting neighbours? If not then with all the escalation this case has had from the current owners and us, we’re hoping that this can be resolved this week so we don’t lose the property. Many thanks for your help

Hi Ben - the casework team have contacted the lodging conveyancer to day to update them re the wider checks starting and something we still need from them. The thing we need from them is a confirmation point only so hopefully they can respond quickly. The wider checks though run until the end of the month so if things are to progress as positively as you hope we would need a positive response from the recipient, namely the adjoining landowner. Please contact the conveyancer/their client to obtain specific details

Thanks Adam, to learn of more delays in our current situation is devastating. Please can I try to get some more clarity here on timelines and what’s happening. As per your earlier post, the wider contact now goes out to neighbours. In this case, I think it will be just the one neighbour and please can you confirm if that contact has already been made? Or does that happen through the lodging conveyancer? I understand from what you have previously shared that it could take up to another 15 working days? Sounds like if you do hear back from them straight away then it could be quicker? With this particular case I am a little confused as I didn’t think there was an adjoining neighbour impacted by this, just the Public Highway, but perhaps that is the ‘neighbour’. How long after the neighbour has confirmed do you think this can be sorted? Or is there another process that I’m not aware of yet that we still need to step through? This has already been with the LR for one month and sounds like we will need to write off another month. Many thanks

Hi Adam, I hope you’re well. Re DN788390, we know that the neighbouring land owner has contacted the LR and they will support the application. Please can you let me know if you have any update at your end? Many thanks

Hi Ben - all good thanks and trust you are too. No update to share. It's important that the contacted neighbour responds as directed in the notice received. If that's happened it's not yet reached the live application

OK, thanks for letting me know, Adam. Hopefully that will happen very soon.

Morning Adam, I hope you’re well. Please can I have an update on DN788390? We’re hoping that the LR now has everything it needs to approve the application. Many thanks

Morning Ben - the conveyancer's responses have enabled matters to progress and a final check is now underway with the Highways Authority as the land adjoins the public highway. That check runs until 3rd August unless they respond sooner and positively - the conveyancer has been informed of that further check. I should stress that a decision re that final check would not have been made until we had a complete application

Hi Adam, regarding the final checks with the HA running until 3rd August, is that the final deadline? What happens after that as it is a further surprise that there are yet more hoops to jump through. Pls can you confirm the final steps so we can plan where we will live in the meantime? Thank you.

Ben - there's nothing final until it's all completed. But as things currently stand if we get no response from the HA the application is reviewed on 4th or 5th Aug and should then be completed. It's a manual process though so again nothing definitive or final.

If they respond positively things can happen sooner. If they respond negatively then the wait continues.

Thanks for the information, Adam. If we don’t hear from the HA, as I suspect we won’t, and the application is reviewed on 4th or 5th August, how long will it take for the LR to grant the Possessory Title? Is that immediate? That will then allow us to exchange so I’m trying to get a sense of timing. Hopefully given this is an expedited application, we will be able to get the paperwork we need on 4th or 5th August. Please can you confirm this for us? Many thanks

Ben - if everything aligns that would be my estimate re dates as well