Anyone is at risk of property fraud as all information held at the Land Registry is available to view by anyone, so it is easy for fraudsters to find out who owns a property. The information held at the Land Registry can reveal details such as who owns a property, their correspondence address, details of the lender and even samples of their signature.
Fraudsters may attempt to acquire ownership of a property by using forged documents or impersonating the registered owner.
There are certain types of matters which are more at risk of fraud. These include, but are not limited to :-
- The property is rented out/tenanted
- You live overseas
- The property is empty
- The property is being refurbished
- The property is unregistered
- The property is not mortgaged
There are a couple of simple measures that you can do to protect your property and reduce the risk of any fraud and these are outlined below:-
Sign up to Property Alert
This is a free service provided by the Land Registry where you can sign up and receive alerts if there is certain activity on your property. This allows you to take action if necessary. This alert service will not block any unauthorised activity on your property, but it will enable you to act quickly and take action if someone is attempting to change the register of your property. You can sign up for the alert for up to 10 properties.
Further information can be found on the Land Registry’s website.
You do not need to own a property to set up a Property Alert. Therefore, you can also use this service if you are looking after a property for a friend or relative who is in a care home, or if the owner is deceased and the property is vacant.
Enter a Restriction on the Registered Title
You can enter a Restriction on the Registered Title to your property to stop certain applications such as a sale or mortgage being registered on the title unless a conveyancer or solicitor confirms the application was made by you. There is no fee for this service provided you do not live at the property address you wish to protect. Otherwise, a fee of £40.00 applies. A Restriction would provide an additional barrier and deterrent to protect you against fraud.
For further information, please contact our conveyancing team :
We have offices across Devon
South Devon 01803 213251
Exeter 01392 274006
North Devon 01271 342268
Email us us [email protected]
Sarah Rowles is a Licensed Conveyancer in our Residential Property Department
Sarah Rowles – Licensed Conveyancer
Email [email protected]
or call 01803 396613
