Land Registry application delays

The Land Registry has recently published details of its current processing times, which show it is experiencing long delays in processing more complex applications, such as for the first registration of land or the sale of part of a registered title.

It receives approximately 34,000 of these types of applications each month. It says that it completes half of all applications for the first registration of land or property in just over 13 months, and it completes almost all such applications within 14 months.

In the case of applications to divide existing registered titles (transfers of part) or the registration of a new lease where preparatory work has already been done, it completes half of such applications in just over 12 months. Almost all should be completed in around 20 months.

Where no preparatory work has been done, half are completed in just over 17 months and almost all in 23 months. In many of these situations, the Land Registry needs to raise enquiries with the solicitor/conveyancer submitting the application, so the delay will, to some extend, depend on how quickly a response is received.

The Land Registry accepts that these statistics are poor, and it is working on speeding up the process by employing more specialist staff and automating processes.

However, anyone who is suffering hardship caused as a result of a delay (such as an inability to sell their property) can request the Land Registry to fast-track their registration. Visit Request an expedite - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Reasons for this might be that the delay is causing legal, financial or personal problems. Providing the fast-tracking is justified, the speed of progress is generally greatly improved.