The law mandates that property that is sold in England and Wales is registered with the Land Registry.

When did it become law to register property with HM Land Registry?

The UK government introduced the concept of compulsory registration of property at the point of sale in 1925, but it took until 1990 for the whole of England and Wales to be bound by this legislation.

Why was this law introduced?

It was determined that keeping all legal title information in one place would simplify the conveyancing process, protect home and land owners against fraud and reduce the likelihood of disputes.

How does HM Land Registry protect me against fraud?

By placing a Form LL restriction on a title deed to a property or piece of land, it cannot be sold without the restriction being removed by a lawyer such as Parachute Law. This means that fraudsters cannot sell a property that they do not legally own, protecting homeowners against the disruption, costs and anguish that such fraudulent activity can cause.

Does my property have a Form LL restriction?

You can check whether your property has a Form LL restriction on its title by checking your copy of the title deeds, by contacting HM Land Registry and asking to see their copy of your title deeds, or by engaging the services of a conveyancing solicitor to check for you.

People for whom a Form LL restriction is particularly useful are the elderly and infirm and those whose properties are used as second homes or investment properties as they are more likely to be targeted by fraudsters. However, anybody can have one applied if they deem it necessary.

The important thing to remember about a Form LL restriction.

You cannot sell a property that has a Form LL restriction in place, so if you plan to sell your property in the near future, it would be sensible to have this restriction removed prior to advertising it as it could otherwise introduce unnecessary delays into the conveyancing process.