Registering Charity Land

Hi, I need some advice on the first registration of historic Charity Land.  The lease is in the name of a local authority (which is the only trustee for the charity) but for 120 years, the ground rents have been paid to the charity via the local authority.  Minute and receipt books evidence this.  Our solicitor is suggesting that the land must be in the name of the local authority, but this makes the sale of the freehold to the leaseholders much more complex, especially as there have been many changes to the arrangements between the charity and the authority since the leases were first created.

We would prefer to register the land in the name of the charity rather than authority, but the solicitor thinks the Land Registry might not accept this.  What is the best way to register this historic charity land please?

Hi Susan - it will all depend on the deeds and how they confirm the legal ownership. If the lease was granted to the local authority then they are the legal owner and would be registered as such. If it was granted to them as 'trustees' of the charity then they can be registered as such and in that capacity