What Are The Land Registry's Identity Rules?

Posted on 6th May 2020

For Land Registry purposes your local property Solicitors, Conveyancers and charted legal executives were the only profession able to verify ID. However, there are plans to allow verification to be undertaken by people who work or have worked in a specified group of professions.

HM Land Registry allow for retired conveyancers, chartered legal executives, solicitors, barristers, bank officials, regulated financial advisers, medical doctors, dentists, veterinary surgeons, chartered and certified accountants, police officers and officers in the UK armed forces to undertake identity verification.

However, the Land Registry have now extended this group to allow for teachers, college and university teaching staff, Westminster MPs and Welsh Assembly members, UK civil servants of senior executive officer grade or above and magistrates to verify identification.

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Such verification can now also be carried out by way of a video call.

The Law Society has also welcomed the fact that the Land Registry are also accepting documents which have been executed following the Mercury Rules.

The way you sign (using the Mercury Rules) will depend on the type of document:

Deeds:

The final version of the deed is circulated to the parties who are not physically able to join a meeting

The absent signatory will print the signature page/sign the deed and then scan the signature page to the Solicitors

For deeds the signatory must confirm whether the deed is deemed to be delivered or when it is to be considered deeded delivered

Contracts and Guarantees

Option 1:

A signature page is circulated whilst the document is still being negotiated

The absent signatory prints the signature page, signs it and scans it in

The scanned signature page is sent back to the Solicitor who circulated the final document, together with written consent of the signatory to the attachment of the signature page to the final document

Option 2:

A signature page is circulated whilst the document is still being negotiated

The absent signatory prints the signature page, signs it and scans it back

Once the final document is agreed, it is circulated, and the absent signatory confirms that their signature page can be attached to the final agreed document.

Remember, before signing any legal document or deed you must ensure you seek appropriate legal advice so that you fully understand that which you are being asked to sign and also the implications of signing. Contact MG Legal via enquires@mglegal.co.uk or by calling 01995 602 129.