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Posted Mon, 14 Oct 2024 16:32:12 GMT by Clyde Warsop

Hi,

I am in the process of transferring the ownership of a property and have a question about which legal documents I need to send to the land registry with the completed AP1, TR1 and ID1 forms.

The situation is a little complex but I believe the answer is likely to be a simple one – the circumstances are as follows:

The property was purchased and legally owned and registered in my name at HMLR in 2012. However, the purchase was made using funds provided by my father and was for his beneficial use (long story but it was done this way to enable him to decouple the purchase of this property from his old property and to allow the purchase to be made through a short-term mortgage I took out on on my own house which was quickly paid off once my father sold his old property). I therefore formally held the property in trust for the benefit of my father and have a signed Declaration of Trust to this effect.

My father passed away a few months back. I am the executor of his estate and have Grant of Probate. In his Will my father left all of his residuary estate to myself. However, because I have no need of further wealth I have executed a Deed of Variation to transfer the residuary estate to my two daughters (his granddaughters) in equal shares. Now, my father’s estate owes a cash debt to pay off a loan from a trust set up on the death of my mother and the trustees of that trust have appointed that debt absolutely to the same two granddaughters. The two granddaughters have effectively agreed to accept a percentage share of the property in lieu of payment of the cash debt from my father’s estate and of course they now also own the remainder of the property as it forms part of the residuary estate.

Overall, I therefore have the following legal documents and Deeds associated with the legal and beneficial ownership of the property:

  • Declaration of trust signed by myself when the property was bought in my name in 2012 saying that I hold the property in ‘trust for my father’s absolute benefit’

  • My Father’s Will

  • My Fathers death certificate

  • Grant of Probate for my father’s estate

  • A Deed of Variation signed by me transferring my father’s residuary estate to his two granddaughters

  • A Deed of Appointment from the trust my mother set up appointing the benefit of the debt my father’s estate owes it to his two granddaughters

  • A Deed of Transfer that brings together the beneficial and legal ownership of the entire property into the names of my father’s two granddaughters signed by myself as the current legal owner of the property and as the executor of my father’s estate and also by my fathers two granddaughters (my daughters) as beneficiaries.

So the bottom line is: I am currently the registered legal owner of the property and wish to change the registered ownership into the names of my two daughters (who are now the beneficial owners and should now also be registered as the legal owners). I therefore believe I need to complete forms AP1 and TR1 (plus the appropriate ID1 forms) rather than use the AS1 form. All fairly straight forward so far. Now what I would like to know is which (if any) of the other documents I listed above would you like me to send certified copies of in response to Panel 5 of the AP1 form? I know HMLR are only interested in registering legal ownership rather than beneficial ownership so you probably only likely need a subset of the documents I listed

As I said – A fairly complex situation but likely requires a fairly straightforward answer.

Clyde

Posted Tue, 15 Oct 2024 05:49:27 GMT by Adam Hookway
Hi Clyde - a complex scenario re your late Father's beneficial interest and the trust you created but as you already appreciate not a complex one from a registration perspective.
We deal with the legal ownership and as that is registered in your name if that is to be transferred then it is for you to transfer using forms AP1, TR1 and ID1s as appropriate. 
All the other aspects and documents you refer to relate to the beneficial ownership so we don't generally need to see those. 
The only caveat to that is of course whether that beneficial interest is protected on the register, for example by way of a restriction - if it is and the restriction(s) now need(s) to be cancelled then please see PG 24 for guidance 
Practice guide 24: private trusts of land - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
 
Posted Tue, 15 Oct 2024 07:29:55 GMT by Clyde Warsop
Many thanks for a very prompt and concise response - As there are no restrictions protecting beneficial interests formally on the register this is a very straightforward transfer (all the beneficial interests were dealt with very amicably between the parties so it was never felt necessary to register them formally with HMLR). Thank you once again for your speedy reply
Posted Sat, 30 Nov 2024 16:03:53 GMT by Tina McGrath
I am the executor to my sisters estate, which supporting documents would i need to include with the AP1.  I know one would be the Grant of Probate.  
Posted Sat, 30 Nov 2024 17:12:38 GMT by Clyde Warsop
Tina, I am the originator of this thread and my case/circumstances are very unusual and unlikely to be the same as yours (the  house being registered in my name but with me holding it 'in trust' for the benefit of my late father). If your circumstances are the same as mine and someone (e.g. you or someone else) held/holds the property 'in trust' for your late sister (it's unclear in your question whether or not this is the case) then  the response I got from HMLR will apply to you and you will just need so send the AP1, TR1 and  either ID1 or ID3 forms. 

If the property or a portion of it is registered in your late sisters name (which I think is likely to be the case, its the most common scenario) then you don't need the TR1 form - you need to use the Assent forms ( AS1 for full title transfer or AS3 if she owned a part share of the property).  You'll also need to provide a  certified  copy of the Grant of Probate and the relevant ID forms (probably an ID1 or ID3) .  No doubt someone from HMLR will provide you with a detailed response when someone gets back in the office next week  but the information you provided is insufficient for them to make a definitive response.  You will need to tell them who the present registered owner is:  is it just your late sister? or is it in joint names? and whether, if in joint names, the other joint holders are still alive? with that information they will point you in the right direction but if you fancy a read all the info you need is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/whole-of-registered-title-assent-as1/guidance-how-to-complete-form-as1 (for transfer of full title)   and here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/part-of-registered-title-assent-as3 for transfer of part title.
 

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