How title to unregistered land is proved through the deeds — from identifying a good root to investigating the chain and registering the title after completion.
With no register of ownership to rely on, everything turns on the documents the seller can produce and how carefully the buyer's solicitor checks them. This chapter begins with how title is proved in unregistered land, what makes a good root of title, and how the epitome assembles the chain — including the documents needed where an owner has died intestate or a joint tenant has died. It then moves through examining the deeds for valid execution by individuals, companies and attorneys, and dealing with defects such as undischarged mortgages and the limited right to see pre-root documents. Finally it covers the Land Charges Register, how searches are conducted against estate owners and the protection a pre-completion search gives, before closing with completion itself and the requirement of first registration.
