As per the thread title, does anyone here work for the Land Registry or know someone who does?
In December 2021, I bought out my ex, and removed her from the title. Well, the title is yet to be updated, and this is now holding up a sale. My solicitors have sent further requests, but to no avail.
I'm just after advice on how to push this forward, or seek support of someone who can help.
Cheers.
It’s a nightmare. Applications that used to take 3 days can take 6 months. Get the buyers solicitor to write to your solicitor saying they won’t buy until they see the updated title. This letter can then be lodged to prove hardship and LR then commit to dealing with the application within 10 working days.
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Like every other government department they are hopelessly inefficient.
I know people who have been waiting over two years to receive their first titles for new build property they purchased.
As Dan has stated it’s a complete nightmare and everything is well delayed. Like others Covid has given them a get of jail card excuse to explain away the shockingly poor service.
Even solicitor enquiries are being met with a blunt “we have a large backlog” response.
Yes I have just had an application “fast-tracked” because it was holding up a sale. We had the decision within 10 days. Otherwise I believe the standard turnaround time is currently 100 working days.Originally Posted by dandanthewatchman
OP speak to your solicitor. Your situation as you describe it should certainly be expedited
To answer the OPs question it would seem no ... the LR is in the same bracket at the DVLA and the Passport Office ... legions of civil servants not working at home ...
I did a property transfer in May and the solicitor advised it will be likely 12 months to get the title back. Unless we could demonstrate the delay was causing hardship or delay of another matter.
So nothing at all to do with staff shortages, backlogs, Covid, underfunding, all the fault of lazy couldn't give a monkeys staff.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Admittedly it´s been some years since I last conducted a property transaction in GB though I don´t recall it ever being as bad as is being related here.
Sounds like the ´fast tracking´ option is the way to go, so a work around exists.
Last edited by Passenger; 10th June 2022 at 10:26.
Typical I’ll informed drivel from Montello. Probably read something in the Daily Mail, so it must be true. The private sector is hardly a paragon of virtue - look at the shambles that’s going on with airlines and airports. Easy to blame it on Civil Servants though, even though the overwhelming majority want to do a decent job just as those in the private sector do.
My conveyancers held back £500 of my money that wasn't needed in the event of things (legal letters informing my move to the grounds management group weren't required) but they still insisted on holding my money until Land Registry had returned the updated title so they could close the account. I had to chase them twice for it, once 6 weeks post move and again after 12 weeks before I threatened them with charging them for holding money no longer associated with the title-registering process and got it back next day, the title and closure letter took until October to arrive having moved end of March and that was before the majority of people moved following the stamp duty change so no doubt its worse now.
Turn around used to be 3 days ... now it is 12 months ... that looks like a terrible reduction in service to me.
My BiL still can't get his driving license back and my sister is still waiting months for a passport.
I accept that there are many reasons but there a massive fall off in service going on like it or not ... I don't see that the funding has suddenly fallen off a cliff so I don't consider that a factor ... working practices have been impacted by covid and have not returned to normal; WFH is a significant factor in that I believe ...
Many people with thrive WFH and some will take advantage ... human nature. For a lot of these roles I think people need to get back in the office. I have had numerous call with HMRC where you can hear TV, kids, dogs etc in the background and they don't have the IT infrastructure to route calls ... it leads to awful service and wastes the time of the staff and customers ...
With central govt. talking big cost savings by slimming the civil service down I´d prepare, plan, brace for it getting worse.
Btw I thought you´d all gotten full fibre hyper speed broad band, that was certainly promised frequently at the last election, should eventually resolve the IT side of things, no...
Last edited by Passenger; 10th June 2022 at 11:11.
Frustratingly, the conveyancer which acted when I bought my ex out, has sent an expedited request. Those 10 days have passed, and nothing!
I'm now using a full legal services solicitor firm, rather a conveyancing firm for the sale and purchase. The downside is 2 parties are involved. The upside is that I get a proper service.
Anyway, I guess, all I can do is ask the conveyancer to send another 10 day request.
I think it is very easy to blame government for stuff (and I'm certain they are the masters of some almighty miss management the list of which is endless) but sometimes it is just down to people who can't be bothered ....
The reality is that it is a combination off all factors mentioned not just staff but I have been on the receiving end of some very disinterested staff at HMRC that turned a simple matter into a massive saga ... now you may argue their attitude and work ethic is a function of the environment created by their managers and organisation and that is likely true ... but they also have a choice how motivated they are.
Things in the private sector are also not as they were but they are not as bad as I and others are experiencing in the public sector ... maybe if we can remove the chief clown then the whole system will improve but that is getting beyond G&D scope ...
But ain´t it all perception as regards relative performance of public and the private sectors, I would imagine if you were one of the furious Brits informed their flight, holiday was cancelled whilst at the airport you´d maybe view it differently. Bless.
My accountants thankfully deal with HMRC but as one of the little people my working presumption is they´ll always be less than helpful or conciliatory since I´m not a google, Amazon or other preferred customer, no free lunch for me...this way I can´t be disappointed. Kinda the stoic approach...mind you we had to fight 3 deportation orders from the Home Office against the future Mrs P 3 decades ago, there was just no need to be so heavy handed...however we won. So I´ll admit my expectations, regard for the various branches may not be that high to start with. But I digress.
Last edited by Passenger; 10th June 2022 at 11:48.
Have you considered contacting your MP with a view to a question being asked 'in the House of Commons'? '
"Well they would say that ... wouldn't they!"
As usual for TZ the thread goes off piste.
This is something I know about and as I said you need to get a letter proving hardship otherwise they won’t accept it to be expedited. That is the key.
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100% this. My issue (whilst not identical to yours) was holding up a chain so they expedited without argument. Work with your solicitor to make this happen
Thanks. What exactly is a letter proving hardship? I've already shared the memorandum of sale, which was sent with the expedited request (so I believe).
The letter needs to be from the buyers solicitor saying that their client and lender will not proceed with the purchase until clean title can be deduced. Your solicitor simply needs to email or better phone the buyers solicitor and ask for it. That letter can then be lodged through the LR portal and I pretty much guarantee the application will be fast tracked. It could still be delayed if they then spot any errors in the original application
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Thank you. I'll get onto my solicitor.
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