When you act on a purchase, the registered title is the first thing you read — and you have to know exactly how much it guarantees and what it leaves out. The Land Register aims to mirror the title, but the mirror isn't perfect: the class of title affects the strength of the state's guarantee, and some interests bind a buyer even though they never appear on the register. Knowing where these gaps sit is what protects your client from nasty surprises after completion.
This lesson works through the title from the ground up:
- The Register and Classes of Title — the three parts of a registered title and the four classes the registrar can grant.
- Upgrading Title — how and when a weaker class of title can be improved to absolute.
- Overriding Interests — the rights that bind a buyer despite not being on the register, and the schedules that govern them.
- Interests of Persons in Actual Occupation — when someone's occupation gives them a binding interest, and the two exceptions.
- Alteration, Rectification and Indemnity — correcting the register and the state guarantee that backs it.
- Due Diligence — the practical steps and insurance that uncover and manage these risks before completion.