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Preventing Property Title Fraud
13 January, 2022 3 minutes reading time
The Fraud Advisory Panel, HM Land Registry and the Law Society of England and Wales have produced a new guide to help homeowners prevent property title fraud.
Unfortunately, property title fraud is real. Houses are sold, and furnishings are removed without the owner’s knowledge. Take the recently reported case involving Mr Hall, who drove home to Luton after being alerted by neighbours to find his house occupied by strangers in the throes of renovation work.
Most at Risk
As in Mr Hall’s case, a scam can happen where the fraudster steals a person’s identity. Fraudsters change details for registered property titles through the Land Registry, posing as the owner. Next, they use the property to apply for a new mortgage, or as it appears in Mr Hall’s case, sell the property to an unwitting buyer, disappearing with the proceeds.
Identity theft is only one part of the story. You are more at risk if you live overseas or your property is:
- Rented out
- Empty
- Not mortgaged
- Not registered with HM Land Registry
HM Registry Claims / Compensation
Understandably, these scams cause distress and can devastating impact homeowners. In some cases, people even lose their homes. Indeed, during the last financial year of 2020/21, the HM Land Registry received 22 claims for indemnity following alleged property title fraud, paying out £3.5 million in compensation.
Four Steps
The new guide is designed to help those who own property or are considering buying one.
In summary, you must ensure:
- Firstly, your property is registered with HM Land Registry. Registration means that ownership can be checked and gives you extra legal protection. You can apply for voluntary registration if your property is not already registered.
- Secondly, your registered details are up to date. They can contact you if the Land Registry detects early signs of fraud.
- Thirdly, you sign up for HM Land Registry’s free online property alert service. This service will automatically let you know if someone tries to change your property registration details. It’s worth noting that you can register more than one correspondence address and email address for any property title.
- Finally, if you believe you are at risk of property fraud. In that case, you can apply for a restriction on your property’s title or other bespoke conditions that add additional security checks for anyone with the title. HM Land Registry must vet and approve these extra conditions before they are implemented.
Our Advice
To download a copy of the guide, please click here. In the meantime, if you need further information or advice, please contact us. We’re here to help.
Please note that all views, comments or opinions expressed are for information only and do not constitute and should not be interpreted as being comprehensive or as giving legal advice. No one should seek to rely or act upon, or refrain from acting upon, the views, comments or opinions expressed herein without first obtaining specialist, professional or independent advice. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, Curtis Parkinson cannot be held liable for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies.