What is the process to change the name on a property deed?
1) Title documents are downloaded from the Land Registry.
What are we looking for?
- Is there a mortgage?
- Who are the current registered owners?
- If more than one person, how do they own the property?
- Re there any other restrictions that would prevent the names to be changed?
2) Draft the deed (transfer deed) to add or remove the relevant people.
All parties to the deed need to sign it.
If anyone is not represented by a solicitor or conveyancer they will need to complete a form to verify their identity.
3) If you own a leasehold property, we most likely will need to contact the freeholder to see what their requirements are for the change of ownership and, if there is to be a change of mortgage lender, to check that insurance is in place and any ground rent and service charges payable are paid up to date.
4) If there is a mortgage on the title, we will either need the lender to consent to the transfer or you will need to get a new mortgage offer in the names of the new owners and we will need this in order to complete the change of names.
If there is no mortgage on the title, we can date the deed (this will be the date that the ownership of the property changes) and get this registered for you with Land Registry.
What is the process to change the name on a property deed – This process is known as a Transfer of Ownership.
A Transfer of Ownership allows you to transfer part or all of your property to another person. This can be vital for several reasons, but most commonly it’s due to a relationship breakdown. The process allows you to legally add or remove a person from the property title deeds, leaving at least one of the original owners in place.
However, if no original owner is remaining on the title deeds, you would require our conveyancing services, as this would become a sale or a purchase rather than a Transfer of Equity, even if no money changes hands.
