Land Registry - more dematerialisation

You may have received notice of the Land Registry’s plan to increase the scanning and electronic retention of documents from 14th July. See Scanning and Retention.

Scanning and electronic retention will result in the original document being destroyed unless either a request is made for its return, or a certified copy is lodged. At present, Land Registry only scan deeds referred to on the register as "copy filed", and leases and charges. But from 14th July 2008, scanning of documents will apply to all applications and correspondence completed on or after this date. Land Registry states that, as at present “if you wish to have a specific original document returned to you on completion of an application, a certified copy of the document must be lodged with your application. We no longer retain original documents once they have been scanned.” They will be destroyed.

Land Registry states that if your application is pending on 14th July, and you require an original document to be returned to you, and you have not supplied a certified copy, you should write to the Land Registry before then with details of the application and the document required to be returned.

Whilst the announcement does not make it clear, we understand that there is no plan to change the current practice on first registration of returning to the applicant its title documents lodged with the FR1 application. Those documents normally retained by the Land Registry, such as the application form itself, the transfer to the applicant, any new charge, and the SDLT certificate - will not be returned unless certified copies have been sent with the application.