I'm paying upkeep for garages with dubious ownership

Hi

I'm rather perplexed by this hoping someone can help....

I am one of 12 leaseholders in a block of flats. There is a small block of 7 garages to the rear of the property within the grounds of our block. Of these, 3 are owned by my neighbours and 4 are owned by other (unknown) people. The 12 leaseholders are responsible for the maintenance of the block and garages and a recent S.20 Notice requested nearly £20k for the refurbishment of the garages. As per the terms of our leases the 3 garage-owners pay a slightly higher percentage overall towards the overall maintenance (which seems bizarre but that's the lease). 

Needless to say, we're curious about who owns these 4 garages that we're being asked to pay nearly £20k to renovate - so I had a look on the land registry..... and things got really interesting. Searching under our postcode I found our block and all 12 flats listed. Searching under the building name, street and town, I can find only 2 garages listed.

So this appears to show that only 2 out of 7 are listed on land registry. I was under the impression that it's a requirement for all land and property to be listed on land registry in order to prevent it being sold illegally or suchlike. 

I've already asked the managing agents who owns the other 4 garages and they are refusing to tell me - which is of course a different matter. 

Any suggestions about next steps would be greatly appreciated - how is the requirement to register property enforced?

Regards

Russell

Hi Russell - what's 'listed' when you search is address information/data only based on your own search criteria. It's not 100% the registered information so you can't conclude from the listing that the 'missing' garages are not registered.
If you download the freehold register then that should refer to each registered lease be they be of the flats or flats and garages as appropriate. And assuming there's no head leasehold title involved.
However if your focus is on the garages then I would recommend doing a postal search of the index map instead. We do the search and provide a result which confirms the title numbers for the land (garages) as appropriate

Hi Adam

Thanks - very useful!

I have acquired the freehold register and identified all of our flats and 6 of the 7 garages. However, one of them has a title number that relates to a freehold house in a different part of the county and one of them is not mentioned at all. I have now discovered that it was originally designated as a bin store - although it has been converted and is being rented out as a garage. Should I assume that the incorrect title number is a clerical error or is it possible for a garage in a block of flats in one part of the county to be included in the lease of a freehold house elsewhere?

Regards

Russell

Hi Russell - never assume anything although it would be odd if as stated
Can you share the title number perhaps?

Hi Adam

Yes thanks, it's ESX159027

Here are a couple of the others as a comparison; ESX346834, ESX371372 - they clearly relate to our block.

Regards

Russell

 

Russell - many thanks. It looks like ESX159027 should read ESX159827. It's linked correctly so I'm assuming you've taken that from the freehold register. I'll flag that with colleagues as an amendment to the freehold register
The extra garage you refer to is I assume the one at the very end and which forms part of the freehold title SX150142 so no separate registered lease so presumably on a short let

Hi Adam

All sorted now thanks for your help. 

Regards

Russell