Solicitors not informed

Hello,

Our land registry application had a requisition and was then cancelled. We are 14 months post completion and the land registry has not been updated due to this. We are now chasing it with the solicitors. 

My question is regarding the fact that the solicitors are claiming that land registry can sometimes cancel applications without informing them so they wouldn’t have known about it.

Can I ask, how true is this? I find it hard to believe, and want to know where we stand before making a complaint to the solicitor.

Thank you.
 

Hello Ayesha - Our requisition and cancellation procedures are set out in our Practice Guide 50

We may reject an application where it is substantially defective and there is no prospect of us being able to proceed with it. 

Where we have accepted the application and find there are gaps or issues that need to be addressed then our normal practice is to raise a requisition followed by a warning / reminder if the matter is still not resolved, and then cancel the application. 

There could be some situations where the requisition may have not reached the solicitors because of email glitches, but most of the solicitors have access to our Portal / Business eServices and would be able to see the status and access all correspondence using the View Application service in there. 

However, it depends on individual case.  If you need to investigate what exactly happened in your case then you can contact our Customer Support using the Contact form - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-hm-land-registry

I hope this helps. 

Hi Nimesh,

Thanks for your prompt reply.

The solicitors say they never received any notifications via the portal. But I have an email from LR with the exact dates of when requisition and warnings were sent. Essentially it’s just one persons word against another so I will focus on getting the application sorted rather than lodging complaints.

The solicitors have now submitted a new application, expedition has been approved and they said they will update us with its progress. Understandably, I am wary of their ability/likelihood of doing this due to our past experiences.
 

Is there any way I can check the status with Land Registry directly without spending time on the phone? Do I need a reference number of some sort from the solicitors?

Thanks.

Hi Ayesha - You would not be able to check the status directly.

Do you have a title number or the application reference?  If not, then give me the property address so that I can identify the application. I will delete the address details as soon as I have made a note to avoid any privacy issues.  

Hi Nimesh,

Please do delete once you have the info.

Thank you 

Ayesha - Thank you.  The application was submitted this morning.  It has been approved for expedite so will be treated as a priority.  

Whilst we complete 90% of the expedited applications within 10 working days, it would be helpful to clarify that expedite means that the application is treated as a priority after that request has been approved. How long it then takes is entirely up to whether the application can be completed there and then or not. If the evidence provided is sufficient, and no additional actions are required, then great. But if the evidence is not sufficient then the timescale will be stretched as the person / firm who submitted the application will need to resolve any issues and we may have to complete wider checks.

Great, thanks so much for your help today it’s been very reassuring.

Have a lovely Christmas. 

Ayesha 

Ayesha - Thank you and you too.