Trying to registar a piece of land

[dain]

I have recently purchased my first house, next to my house is a piece of land roughly 3 metres wide, siding up to No 24, and roughly 8 metres long fenced off at the back. On the plans to my house it states that it is a right of way this for axcess to a canel for horse and cart, the canal has not been there for 40 years and the right of way has been fenced off for at least 50 years. This piece of land has been derelict for a long time, i have been in touch with the land registry (Coventry) and that have no records of who owns the land and that it is not registared to anyone, i want to know if i can buy or claim this land as i am have problems with neighbours parking lorrys and vans on this piece of land between my house 26 and 24. This has caused damp rot and structual damage to my house due to the movement of depree and soil towards the footing of the house, this has cost me a significant amount of money to put right. The council do not own this land and they have told me that i can bring a fence out from the side of my house up to a metre wide giving my safe axcess to my back gate, i would also like to know if this is true.

Many Thanks for your co-operation

[buildersmate]

Fence it all off and see what happens. Any problems are likely to be with your near neighbours (who may know the history and be curious) rather than casual parkers of vans. If nothing happens, begin 'maintaining' it - nothing fancy - a few vegs perhaps.
If you are able to maintain it for many years (10 before you can make an initial claim to LR) you will end up with a piece of land for free. The worst that can happen is the fence has to come down againb

[Nether Edge]

As it's not already registered at HM Land Registry, someone must have owned it for many years (since before registration became compulsory). I agree with buildersmate.

Better even if you occupy it for > 1yr then approach insurance company. Indemnity insurance could be purchased for a one-off premium, then you could build a house - or whatever - on it, safe in knowledge that insurance will cover potential risk BUT you are also stacking-up the "adverse possession" towards the ten-year point.

[bezzapebo]

As a conveyancer, I would agree with the above. Log onto the Land Registry website at www.landreg.gov.uk/publications/?pubtype=35, then click on Forms & Publications, then Leaflets, then PRactice Guides. You need to read Practice Guide LRPG005 which is the land registry guidance notes on claiming adverse possession of unregistered land.

[davidwales]

Dear Dain, you can claim up to a metre of land around your house if you fence it and look after the land ie:tend to it and keep it in good order and after twelve years it becomes yours but when you put up the fence you must inform the local authority and the land registry that you are claiming this land as yours all this must be put in writing to the relevant parties.