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Land Registration Act 2002

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

Please note:

All reference to 'Parts' and 'sections' are from the Land Registration Act 2002. For other versions of these Explanatory Notes, see More Resources.

  1. Introduction

  2. Background

    1. Origins of the Act

    2. Title to land

      1. Unregistered conveyancing

      2. Registered conveyancing

    3. The current legislation

    4. The objectives of the Act

      1. Electronic conveyancing

      2. Associated changes

  3. Summary

  4. Commentary on the Sections

    1. Part 1: Preliminary

      1. Section 1: Register of title

      2. Section 2: Scope of title registration

    2. Part 2: First Registration of Title

      1. Chapter 1: First registration

        1. Voluntary registration

          1. 3: When title may be registered

        2. Compulsory registration

          1. Section 4: When title must be registered

          2. Section 5: Power to extend section 4

          3. Section 6: Duty to apply for registration of title

          4. Section 7: Effect of non-compliance with section 6

          5. Section 8: Liability for making good void transfers etc

        3. Classes of Title

          1. Section 9: Titles to freehold estates

          2. Section 10: Titles to leasehold estates

        4. Effect of first registration

          1. Section 11: Freehold estates

          2. Section 12: Leasehold estates

        5. Dependent estates

          1. Section 13: Appurtenant rights and charges

        6. Supplementary

          1. Section 14: Rules about first registration

      2. Chapter 2: Cautions against first registration

        1. Section 15: Right to lodge

        2. Section 16: Effect

        3. Section 18: Cancellation

        4. Section 19: Cautions register

    3. Part 3 : Dispositions of Registered Land

      1. Powers of disposition

        1. Section 23: Owner’s powers

        2. Section 24: Right to exercise owner’s powers

        3. Section 25: Mode of exercise

        4. Section 26: Protection of disponees

      2. Registrable dispositions

        1. Section 27: Dispositions required to be registered

      3. Effect of dispositions on priority

        1. Section 28: Basic rule

        2. Section 29: Effect of registered dispositions: estates

          Section 30: Effect of registered dispositions: charges

        3. Section 31: Inland Revenue charges

    4. Part 4: Notices and Restrictions

      1. Notices

        1. Section 32: Nature and effect

        2. Section 33: Excluded interests

        3. Section 34: Entry on application

        4. Section 35: Unilateral notices

        5. Section 36: Cancellation of unilateral notices

        6. Section 37: Unregistered interests

        7. Section 38: Registrable dispositions

      2. Restrictions

        1. Section 40: Nature

        2. Section 41: Effect

        3. Section 42: Power of registrar to enter

        4. Section 43: Applications

        5. Section 44: Obligatory restrictions

        6. Section 45: Notifiable applications

        7. Section 46: Power of court to order entry

    5. Part 5: Charges

      1. Relative priority

        1. Section 48: Registered charges

        2. Section 49: Tacking and further advances

        3. Section 50: Overriding statutory charges: duty of notification

      2. Powers as chargee

        1. Section 51: Effect of completion by registration

        2. Section 52: Protection of disponees

        3. Section 53: Powers as sub-chargee

      3. Realisation of security

        1. Section 54: Proceeds of sale: chargee’s duty

        2. Section 55: Local land charges

      4. Miscellaneous

        1. Section 56: Receipt in case of joint proprietors

        2. Section 57: Entry of right of consolidation

    6. Part 6: Registration: General

      1. Registration as proprietor

        1. Section 58: Conclusiveness

        2. Section 59: Dependent estates

      2. Boundaries

        1. Section 60: Boundaries

        2. Section 61: Accretion and diluvion

      3. Quality of title

        1. Section 62: Power to upgrade title

        2. Section 63: Effect of upgrading title

        3. Section 64: Use of register to record defects in title

      4. Alteration of the register

        1. Section 65: Alteration of the register

      5. Information etc

        1. Section 66: Inspection of the registers etc

        2. Section 67: Official copies of the registers etc

        3. Section 68: Index

        4. Section 69: Historical information

        5. Section 70: Official searches

      6. Applications

        1. Section 71: Duty to disclose unregistered interests

        2. Section 72: Priority protection

        3. Section 73: Objections

        4. Section 74: Effective date of registration

      7. Proceedings before the registrar

        1. Section 75: Production of documents

        2. Section 76: Costs

      8. Miscellaneous

        1. Section 77: Duty to Act reasonably

        2. Section 78: Notice of trust not to affect registrar

    7. Part 7: Special Cases

      1. The Crown

        1. Section 79: Voluntary registration of demesne land

        2. Section 80: Compulsory registration of grants out of demesne land

        3. Section 81: Demesne land: cautions against first registration

        4. Section 82: Escheat etc

        5. Section 84: Disapplication of requirements relating to Duchy land

        6. Section 85: Bona vacantia

      2. Pending Actions etc.

        1. Section 86: Bankruptcy

        2. Section 87: Pending land Actions, writs, orders and deeds of arrangement

      3. Miscellaneous

        1. Section 89: Settlements

        2. Section 90: PPP leases relating to transport in London

    8. Part 8: Electronic Conveyancing

      1. Section 91: Electronic dispositions: formalities

      2. Section 92: Land registry network

      3. Section 93: Power to require simultaneous registration

      4. Section 94: Electronic Settlement

      5. Section 95: Supplementary

    9. Part 9: Adverse Possession

      1. Section 96: Disapplication of periods of limitation

      2. Section 97: Registration of adverse possessor

      3. Section 98: Defences

    10. Part 10: Land Registry

      1. Administration

        1. Sections 99, 100 and 101: The land registry; Conduct of business; and Annual report

      2. Fees and indemnities

        1. Section 102: Fee orders

        2. Section 103: Indemnities

      3. Miscellaneous

        1. Section 104: General information about land

        2. Section 105: Consultancy and advisory services

        3. Section 106: Incidental powers: companies

    11. Part 11: Adjudication

      1. Section 107: The adjudicator

      2. Section 108: Jurisdiction

      3. Section 109: Procedure

      4. Section 110: Functions in relation to disputes

      5. Sections 111 and 112: Appeals, and Enforcement of orders etc

    12. Part 12: Miscellaneous and General

      1. Miscellaneous

        1. Section 115: Rights of pre-emption

        2. Section 116: Proprietary estoppel and mere equities

        3. Section 117: Reduction in unregistered interests with automatic protection

        4. Section 118: Power to reduce the qualifying term

        5. Section 119: Power to deregister manors

        6. Section 120: Conclusiveness of filed copies etc

        7. Section 121: Forwarding of applications to registrar of companies

        8. Section 122: Repeal of Land Registry Act 1862

      2. Offences etc.

        1. Section 123: Suppression of information

        2. Section 124: Improper alteration of the registers

        3. Section 125: Privilege against self-incrimination

      3. Land registration rules

        1. Section 126: Miscellaneous and general powers

        2. Section 127: Exercise of powers

      4. Supplementary

        1. Section 128: Rules, regulations and orders

        2. Section 129: Crown application

        3. Section 130: Application to internal waters

        4. Section 131: “Proprietor in possession”

      5. Final provisions

        1. Section 133: Minor and consequential amendments

        2. Section 134: Transition

    13. Schedule 1: Unregistered Interests Which Override First Registration

      1. Leasehold estates in land

      2. Interests of persons in Actual occupation

      3. Easements and profits à prendre

      4. Customary and public rights

      5. Local land charges

      6. Mines and Minerals

      7. Miscellaneous

    14. Schedule 2: Registrable Dispositions: Registration Requirements

      1. Part 1: Registered Estates

        1. Introductory

        2. Transfer

        3. Lease of estate in land

        4. Lease of franchise or manor

        5. Creation of independently registrable legal interest

        6. Creation of other legal interest

        7. Creation of legal charge

      2. Part 2: Registered Charges

        1. Introductory; Transfer; and Creation of a sub-charge

    15. Schedule 3: Unregistered Interests Which Override Registered Dispositions

      1. Leasehold estates in land

      2. Easements and profits à prendre

    16. Schedule 4: Alteration of the Register

      1. Introductory

      2. Alteration pursuant to a court order

      3. Alteration otherwise than pursuant to a court order

      4. Rectification and derivative interests

      5. Costs in non-rectification cases

    17. Schedule 5: Land Registry Network

      1. Access to network

      2. Terms of access

      3. Termination of access

      4. Appeals

      5. Network transaction rules

      6. Overriding nature of network access obligations

      7. Do-it-yourself conveyancing

      8. Presumption of authority

      9. Management of network transactions

        1. Supplementary

    18. Schedule 6: Registration of Adverse Possessor

      1. Right to apply for registration

      2. Notification of application

      3. Treatment of application

      4. Right to make further application for registration

      5. Restriction on applications

      6. Effect of registration

      7. Apportionment and discharge of charges

      8. Meaning of “adverse possession”

      9. Trusts

      10. Crown foreshore

      11. Rentcharges

    19. Schedule 7: the Land Registry

      1. Holding of office by Chief Land Registrar, Remuneration etc. of Chief Land Registrar, and Parliamentary disqualification

      2. Staff, and Indemnity for members

      3. Seal, and Documentary evidence

    20. Schedule 8: Indemnities

      1. Entitlement

      2. Mines and minerals

      3. Costs

      4. Claimant’s fraud or lack of care

      5. Determination of indemnity by court

      6. Time limits

      7. Interest

      8. Recovery of indemnity by registrar

    21. Schedule 9: the Adjudicator

      1. Holding of office, Remuneration, and Parliamentary disqualification

      2. Staff and Conduct of business

      3. Application of Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1992

    22. Schedule 10: Miscellaneous and General Powers

    23. Schedule 11: Minor and Consequential Amendments

      1. Settled Land Act 1925 (c. 18)

      2. Law of Property Act 1925 (c. 20)

      3. Inheritance Tax Act 1984 (c. 51)

      4. Housing Act 1985 (c. 68)

      5. Building Societies Act 1986 (c. 53)

      6. Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 (c. 31)

      7. Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993(c.8)

      8. Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1994 (c. 36)

    24. Schedule 12: Transition

      1. Existing entries in the register

      2. Existing cautions against first registration

      3. Pending applications

      4. Former overriding interests

      5. Cautions against first registration

      6. Applications under section 34 or 43 by cautioners

      7. Adverse possession

      8. Indemnities

      9. Implied indemnity covenants on transfers of pre-1996 leases

    25. Schedule 13: Repeals

      1. Land Registration and Land Charges Act 1971

  5. Commencement

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

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Explanatory Notes

Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.

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