| Unregistered land is simply land that has not been | | | | - Unused land |
| registered with the Land Registry, it does not | | | | - Disused land |
| mean that it is ownerless or abandoned land. It | | | | - Derelict land |
| means that Land registry will not have information | | | | - Ownerless land |
| regarding the land so performing a Title plan | | | | |
| search or a Title Register search on the | | | | The fact is, unregistered land in the UK is not |
| unregistered land will not help. The key is to | | | | ownerless, all unregistered land and buildings in the |
| remember that in most cases the owner will | | | | UK are owned by someone. So the first option is |
| know they own the land and will be able to prove | | | | to trace the owner, this is ideal if you wish to |
| this via the paper copy of the Title Deeds. | | | | purchase the unregistered land. Finding the owners |
| Unregistered land usually means that the land has | | | | of unregistered land is a difficult task and one that |
| been owned by the same person, company or | | | | should not be taken lightly. The owner may be |
| family for many years and this is why it is not | | | | known locally so speaking to local people may |
| registered. Now all land and property, with few | | | | reveal the current owners whereabouts. Talking |
| exceptions must go through the process of first | | | | to large companies can also be fruitful but the |
| registration. | | | | truth is that it may be worth using a professional |
| | | | | company to find the owner of an unregistered |
| To see if a piece of land is registered or not you | | | | piece of land or building in the UK. |
| must perform a land registry online search. For | | | | |
| Scotland the same principles apply although the | | | | Option two |
| Scottish Land Registry is slightly different and it | | | | |
| does take longer to obtain documents from them. | | | | Option two is more difficult to achieve, option one |
| | | | | is simple, find the owner of the disused land and |
| When a piece of land is not registered with land | | | | buy it from them. Option two is not to look for |
| registry in the UK you still have options open to | | | | the owner at all and claim the land via adverse |
| you in terms of moving forward and either | | | | possession, this is a long term option as it takes |
| locating the owners or claiming the land. | | | | 12 years of continuous use before you can apply |
| | | | | to the Land Registry to register the land as your |
| If you have found a piece of unregistered land in | | | | own, and when you do they will try and locate |
| the UK these are the two options if you want to | | | | the rightful owner and see if anyone else has a |
| own or use the piece of unused land. | | | | claim on the land. Regardless of what you may |
| | | | | read claiming unregistered land or buildings in the |
| Option one | | | | UK via adverse possession is not an easy task, |
| | | | | saying that it can be done. It would be more |
| So you have found a piece of unregistered land in | | | | suitable for someone who has been using a piece |
| the UK. Unregistered land is also known as | | | | of land continually for a long period of time rather |
| | | | | than if someone was to spy a disused building and |
| - Abandoned land | | | | claim it as their own. |
| - Vacant land | | | | |