Bid to put landon the register

Mar 3 2009 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

The UK Land Registry is targeting solicitors with a new on-line microsite that encourages them to persuade clients to register property.

It said the site had been developed in response to an increasing number of inquiries from law firms wanting help in explaining the advantages.

The site lists up-to-date information on voluntary registration, including benefits, discounted fees and contact information. It also features case studies recounting the experiences of other law firms that have undertaken voluntary registrations on behalf of their clients.

More than 30% of land in England and Wales has yet to be registered. According to Land Registry, that makes it more difficult to manage and protect from encroachment, and because registration enables owners to identify their landholdings and computerise their records, ongoing management is much easier.

Registration fees range from £30 for land worth up to £50,000, to £525 for land worth over £1m, but clients can benefit from a 25% discount on first-time voluntary registration and ongoing conveyancing costs.

For further information, go the Land Registry's microsite at www.landregistry.gov.uk/solicitors