Getting my deeds back

[philipliamward]

I took a loan out with the bank and used my property as security for the loan. The loan was repaid some years ago. the deeds remained with the bank.

I asked for the deeds back and before they will release them they want proof that there is no charge on the property.

I can't understand why they would want me to prove there is no charge on the property when the reason they were loedged with the bank was for a loan that they know has been paid off.

Are they correct? How would I confirm to them there was no chareg on the property?

[Sipowicz]

Ask whoever was your mortgage lender for a letter confirming that the loan has been settled.

[philipliamward]

It was the bank who are now asking for proof that there is no charge....how can that be?

[andrew1707]

Is a "Charge on a Property" not something that the courts can put on the deeds to show you owe someone money?

[FredPuli43]

On registered land, the land registry record, avaliable online, will show all charges registered against the property. If this shows only the one which has been paid off, you'll have the letter from the lender confirming it has been and you can print off a copy of the land registry entry to show the bank that it is otherwise clear .

[FredPuli43]

Of course, the above is of use if the land has been registered at some point.You may mean literally deeds and it has not been, but the answer may still be of use to some.

[Sipowicz]

Fred, I wish you'd stop staying on topic!

[woofgang]

Noba, if you property is registered (correctly) at the land registry, then unless you want them for historical reasons, what the bank has is worthless and you can tell them to take it and stick it if you want to.

But to be helpful.....When My Dh died last year, one of the things I did was get our house transferred entirely into my name and at that point, I found that the charge put on my the bank for a loan around 5 years earlier was still there. I got onto the bank and asked them to remove the charge and they said more or less the same to me, ie have you got documentation to prove that the loan has been paid back.
I had only been widowed for a matter of weeks at that point so i lost it on the phone and said quite brusquely that they should have all the documentation required on file in their office and would they kindly stop behaving like asses (I might not have said asses) and remove the charge to which they no longer had any right. Brief silence, polite agreement to do so. Job done.

[philipliamward]

Thanks for your responses, much appreciated..

Think my situation is almost exactly the same as yours apart from the fact the property in question is owned by my late father and I am going through the process of sorting out probate.

The loan was with the bank, they say they sent the deeds of site to a company that holds them and it is them who want proof of there being no charge. However the bank who am am discussing things with held the origonal loan that was paid of cica 10 years ago. They need to say there is no charge and get my deeds back. They also want to chargwe me £200 to get them back!

I think I need to have a stiff word with them.

Does anyone know how to check for a charge if the property has not been register with the land registry?

[FredPuli43]

If you go to landregistry.gov.uk ; beware, there are firms with similar titles, make sure you have the gov.uk site; you can start a search by address or by map reference or even by looking on a map they can put on screen, as I recall.
It should show the record.
You can also check with your local land registry whether they have it as registered. There is guidance on the site for what you can do if no record is found

Sipowicz, if this is on topic, that is purely accidental.

[venator]

You've got some good advice here. When a title to property is registered at the Land Registry, the paper deeds no longer matter. Asking £200 is a scam.