Conveyancing Solicitor Glossary - L

This Search is usually submitted on your behalf by your conveyancing solicitor. The Land Charges Search checks to see if an owner has any bankruptcy proceedings pending or, where a property is unregistered, to see whether there are many mortgages or interests registered against a property.

The government department responsible for recording the ownership of registered land. The Land Register shows details of individual properties, who owns them and what rights or interests exist in or over them.

The fee payable to the Land Registry to register any change affecting the property including, but not strictly limited to, a change of ownership.

A search at the Land Registry to check that no undisclosed charges or interests are registered against the property.

The Land Registry Title Register holds data relating to the property ownership, purchase price, mortgage, tenure, covenants, rights of way, leases and class of title.

Otherwise known as the Lessor. As originally identified within a Lease, this is the person(s) who is entitled to possession of the property at the end of the lease term.

Where a property is leasehold this document affords the Lessee with rights to possession of the property for the lease term. It details all rights and obligations imposed on the Lessee and the Lessor.

Where ownership of the property is limited to a specific period only, known as the Term (for example 125 or 999 years). At the end of the term the property passes back to the owner of the freehold (or the superior leaseholder), although in many instances an extension of the term can be negotiated prior to it expiring. Typically an annual ground rent will be charged for the continued possession of the Lease.

This is the TA7 form completed by the Seller which provides details of the property specifically relating to the leasehold ownership of a property. A seller completing a Leasehold Information Form must do so carefully and thoroughly. If the information is not provided honestly it could cause a Seller serious issues as the Buyer will seek to rely upon this information. If information or documents are requested within the form, the seller should provide these to his/her solicitor immediately to minimise any delays to the conveyancing process.

More commonly known as a Mortgage Deed. A Legal Charge is a document registered against the legal title confirming an obligation to repay a financial interest to another party, usually in relation to a mortgage or loan.

A common term used to describe the individual or company providing money to assist a buyer to purchase a property; usually found to be a bank or building society.

This means the person entitled to own a Leasehold Title, as original granted within a Lease.

This means the Landlord (usually the freeholder, although it may be a superior landlord), as originally identified within a Lease, who is entitled to possession of the property at the end of the lease term.

A document which grants permission to enter or occupy land for an agreed and specific purpose. A licensor grants such permission, a licensee receives the permission.

If a Seller has only limited knowledge of a property (for example they have inherited the property and never lived there) they cannot provide full title guarantee and limited title guarantee will be provided instead. A Buyer of a property with this type of title should pay extra attention to their own inspection, surveys and/or searches on the property since there will likely be less information available from the seller to rely upon.

This means the local authority have protected the building and it may be more difficult to obtain approval for any desired changes regarding renovation or works. Such works will only be typically approved by the local authority if done to a high standard and if retaining the original features of the building. It is a criminal offence to carry out works to a listed building without the necessary prior permission from the local authority, with such permissions seldom being granted retrospectively.

A search against a property to check formal council records to indicate whether the property may be affected by general orders, planning permission, Building Regulations and other concerns both specific to the property and applicable to the general location of the property.