‘Simple errors’ could be costing conveyancers millions of pounds in administrative time and effort say Land Registry, acknowledging that while the department still has work to do themselves, there are ways practitioners could reduce the number of requisitions.
In a blog published on the HMLR website Land Registry’s head of directorate planning, Ilia Bowles, stressed that practitioner errors were not solely to blame for longer processing times, ‘but they are a significant contributing factor’. Land Registry said it has analysed how many requisitions were sent out over the last 12 months in relation to 10 groups of ‘mainly administrative errors and omissions’, referred to as ‘avoidable’.
Variations in names is said to be the reason for 114,000 requisitions, closely followed by missing information, which prompted 110,00 requisitions. Errors in plans and descriptions, identity, missing evidence, ownership type, dates and amounts, witness details, death of a proprietor and deed in parts also prompted scores of requisitions.
Bowles said:
“Our economists examined how much it costs conveyancers to rectify a mistake in a simple application to update the register, such as a straightforward transfer or re-mortgage. Based on average pay levels in the sector, they calculated a sum of between £5 for each “avoidable” clerical error and £30 for issues that involve chasing third parties for a document or consent, for example. Multiplied across all firms, these ‘minor mistakes’ become hugely expensive, costing the industry anything between £3.2m and £19.1m every year.”
Requisitions add on average 15 working days to the time it takes for the transaction to be registered, Bowles added.
Land Registry have acknowledged they are not blameless when it comes to practitioners complaining of caseworkers being inconsistent with requisitions.
Bowles confirmed the organisation is exploring ways to make data more accessible so that practitioners can understand their own requisition rates and make improvements – including digitisation.
In a call for collaboration, HMLR Bowles concludes the piece saying
“It’s clear that the only way we’re going to bring down the sheer number of requisitions as much as we all need is by continuing to work together.”
In September HMLR announced it would be increasing fees from the 9th of December, in a ‘reflection of the increased costs in facilitating and improving their services, as well as enabling them to further invest in their digitisation agenda.’
Firms have been urged to ensure there systems are updated accordingly;electronic submissions will increase by £4 per application, while Land Charges applications submitted on paper will increase by £6 for searches and £5 for official copies and inspections meaning a search for a registered title will go from £3 to £7 for the digital version or £11 for paper.
