Practice Guide 61 – Telephone Services

Updated: February 2011

Update

This edition of the guide replaces the November 2009 edition. Section 2.1 has been amended to reflect a change of telephone number from 1 November 2010. Section 8.3 has been amended as a result of the relocation of our Land Charges Department on 7 February 2011.

Scope of this guide

This guide gives details of the services available to credit account holders through Land Registry Telephone Services and the information required to lodge an application through Telephone Services. It is aimed at Land Registry Telephone Services customers and applicants and you should interpret reference to ‘you’ accordingly. Land Registry staff will also refer to it.

1 Introduction

This guide gives details of the services available through Land Registry Telephone Services and indicates what information you will need to supply for each type of application.

You can lodge a range of Land Registry and Land Charges applications by telephoning Telephone Services, without the need to complete any forms.

This service is only available to credit account holders. If you would like to know more about the credit account facility or wish to apply for a credit account, please see section 8.3 Credit accounts.

NB: Telephone Services can only accept the lodgement of the application types listed in section 3 Applications that you can lodge. They cannot answer general enquiries or transfer calls to other offices or departments. If you have a general enquiry you should contact the appropriate Land Registry office or the Land Charges Department.

Calls to Telephone Services are charged at the national rate.

Calls are recorded for customer service and training purposes.

2 Telephone numbers

There are two telephone numbers available dependent on where the registration you are dealing with is situated.

2.1 Registrations within England

Call – 0844 892 1111.

The line is open between 8.30am and 6pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

Please note that reduced numbers of staff are employed after 5pm.

2.2 Registrations within Wales

Call – 0844 892 0308.

A Welsh language service is also provided on this number.

The line is open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

3 Applications that you can lodge

You may lodge the following applications through Telephone Services.

• Land Registry official search of whole with priority (OS1).

• Land Registry official search of whole without priority (OS3).

• Home rights search (HR3).

• Land Registry official copy for a register, plan or certificate in form CI or document (OC1/OC2).

• Land Registry official copy (please supply title) for a register, plan or certificate in form CI (OC1 (PST).

• Land Registry official search of the index map (SIM).

• Land Registry official search of the index of relating franchises and manors (SIF).

• Land Registry outline application.

• Land Registry Electronic Notification of Discharge enquiry (ENDs enquiry).

• Land Charges full search (K15).

• Land Charges bankruptcy only search (K16).

• Land Charges office copy (K19).

4 Information you need to supply

You will need to supply the following information for the different types of application listed. Please ensure that you have the information ready when you call.

4.1 Information required for all applications

• Your credit account key number.

• Confirmation of your organisation’s name and address/DX details.

• If different from the above, the name and address of the person or firm to whom official copies or certificates are to be sent.

• If requested, your contact details (name, telephone number and reference).

4.2 Land Registry official search of whole with and without priority (OS1 and OS3)

In addition to the information listed in section 4.1 Information required for all applications, you must supply the:

• title number

• name of the registered proprietor or applicant for first registration. NB: Official searches without priority (OS3) are only permitted against registered titles.

• address or description of registered property

• customer reference

• applicant’s name

• reason for application (purchase, lease or charge). NB: This information is not required for official searches without priority (OS3)

• search from date (taken from an official copy of the register).

4.2.1 Official search certificates

An official search certificate will be issued by telephone if there are no adverse entries and no pending applications or priority official searches. If this is the case, the operator will read the following message to you:

“Since (search from date) no adverse entries have been made. The priority period began at (time of priority period) on (date of priority period) and expires at midnight on (expiry date). The certificate of result will follow.”

Land Registry guarantees this certificate. A paper official search certificate will be sent to you by post or DX.

If entries have been made or applications and/or priority official searches are pending since your search from date, the official search certificate, which will be sent to you, will contain the details. If this is the case the operator will read to you a non-guaranteed information message along the following lines:

“Your application has been accepted. Priority begins now and expires on (expiry date). The certificate of result will show details of any changes to the register and pending applications.”

4.3 Home rights search (HR3)

In addition to the information listed in section 4.1 Information required for all applications, you must supply the:

• title number

• name of the registered proprietor

• address of registered property

• customer reference

• mortgagee’s name.

An official search certificate cannot be given by telephone. You will have to wait for the paper official search certificate to be sent to you by post or DX.

4.4 Land Registry official copy for a register, plan or certificate in form CI or document (OC1/OC2)

In addition to the information listed in section 4.1 Information required for all applications, you must supply the:

• title number

• name of registered proprietor

• address or description of registered property

• customer reference

• type of official copy required ie:

or

• the number of copies you require of each item

• the nature and date of the document(s) (if appropriate)

• the title number the document is filed under (if any stated in the register).

Where an application is (or may be) pending you will be asked if you wish to receive your official copy/copies immediately, ie backdated to before receipt of the first pending application or on completion of the pending application.

NB: The Land Registration Rules 2003 allow a customer to apply for an official copy of any document referred to in the register.

4.5 Land Registry official copy (please supply title) for a register, plan or certificate in form CI (OC1 (PST))

We can accept applications for official copies of a Land Registry register and/or plan/certificate of inspection in form CI where you do not know the title number.

In addition to the information listed in section 4.4 Land Registry official copy for a register, plan or certificate in form CI or document (OC1/OC2), excluding the information relating to documents, you must supply the:

• postal address including postcode

• if the postcode is unknown, the locality, county and district

• which estate you are interested in, eg freehold, leasehold etc.

If you cannot identify a property by address you will have to lodge a postal application with the appropriate Land Registry office enclosing a plan.

4.6 Land Registry official search of the index map (SIM)

In addition to the information listed in section 4.1 Information required for all applications, you must supply the:

• postal address including postcode

• if the postcode is unknown, the locality, county and district

• customer reference.

4.7 Land Registry official search of the index of relating franchises and manors (SIF)

In addition to the information listed in section 4.1 Information required for all applications, you must supply the:

• customer reference

• county or unitary authority

• franchise type, ie franchise, manors or both.

4.8 Land Registry outline application

Outline applications provide a reserved period for interests that cannot be protected by a priority official search. The interest must exist at the time of the application and cannot affect part of a title only.

In addition to the information listed in section 4.1 Information required for all applications, you must supply the:

• title number

• name of the registered proprietor or applicant for first registration

• administrative area or local authority district (if requested)

• customer reference

• applicant’s name

• nature of the interest being protected.

NB: An outline application may only protect a single interest.

4.9 Land Registry Electronic Notification of Discharge enquiry (ENDs enquiry)

You may enquire against a registered title number to obtain details of any Electronic Notification of Discharge that may have been lodged.

In addition to the information listed in section 4.1 Information required for all applications, you must supply the:

• title number.

4.10 Land Charges full search (K15)

In addition to the information listed in section 4.1 Information required for all applications, you must supply the:

• county and any former county

• name to be searched

• period to be searched.

4.11 Land Charges bankruptcy only search (K16)

In addition to the information listed in section 4.1 Information required for all applications, you must supply the name to be searched.

To enable an accurate search to be made, it is essential that the names are entered correctly. The operator will, therefore, spell the names back to you, using the phonetic alphabet, to ensure accuracy.

4.12 Land Charges office copy (K19)

In addition to the information listed in section 4.1 Information required for all applications, you must supply the:

• class of charge

• registration number

• date of registration

• name of estate owner.

5 Fees

5.1 Land Registry applications

See the current Land Registration Fee Order for details of the fees payable.

5.2 Land Charges applications

See the current Land Charges Fees Rules for details of the fees payable.

5.3 Collection of fees

Only credit account holders may use Telephone Services. All fees payable will be debited to the credit account specified by the applicant.

6 Legislation

6.1 Land Registry applications

An application lodged through Telephone Services can only be made during the currency of a notice given by the Chief Land Registrar under Schedule 2, Land Registration Rules 2003 and in accordance with the limitations contained in the notice.

6.2 Land Charges applications

An application lodged through Telephone Services can only be made in accordance with the Land Charges Rules 1974 or any amendment thereto.

7 Further information

You will find further information and guidance in the following practice guides which are available from any Land Registry office or from the Land Registry website at www.landregistry.gov.uk

Practice Guide 10 – Official searches of the index map.

Practice Guide 11 – Inspection and applications for official copies.

Practice Guide 12 – Official searches and outline applications.

Practice Guide 13 – Official searches of the index of relating franchises and manors.

Practice Guide 51 – Areas served by Land Registry offices.

8 Enquiries and comments

8.1 Non-receipt of papers or general enquiries

Do not contact Telephone Services if you do not receive your official copies or certificates.

If you have an enquiry relating to a Land Registry application you should contact the appropriate Land Registry office.

If you have an enquiry relating to a Land Charges application you should contact the Land Charges Department direct.

Contact details for all offices can be found in the Office finder section on our website www.landregistry.gov.uk.

8.2 Telephone Services

If you have an enquiry relating to our Telephone Service please contact the customer service manager at any Land Registry office.

Contact details for customer services managers can be found in the Customer Service section on our website www.landregistry.gov.uk

8.3 Credit accounts

If you would like to apply for a credit account or have an enquiry about your existing credit account, please write to:

Accounts Section
Land Registry Land Charges Department
Seaton Court
2 William Prance Road
Plymouth
PL6 5WS

(DX 8249 Plymouth 3)

Telephone: 0300 006 6690

8.4 Comments about this guide

Please address any comments you have about this guide to:

Central Operations Group
Land Registry
Trafalgar House
1 Bedford Park
Croydon
CR0 2AQ

(DX 8888 Croydon 3)

8.5 Comments about Land Registry services

We are committed to improving the quality and range of our services and to good customer service. If you have any comments about our services please contact:

Customer Service
Land Registry
Trafalgar House
1 Bedford Park
Croydon
CR0 2AQ

(DX 8888 Croydon 3)