Homeowners’ deeds deserve to be preserved
sir – When I worked as a conveyancer, I always made sure that any unwanted deeds (Letters, April 11) were offered to the buyer on completion of the transaction.
Most buyers were very happy to have these often interesting old documents, which neither the mortgage lender nor the Land Registry wanted, not least because they did not have the storage space.
I am afraid that in these days of cut-price conveyancing, legal firms do not want their staff taking time to sort through old deeds and documents; it is cheaper just to dispose of them.
Marie Blanchard
Newport, Monmouthshire
sir – A few years ago the Telegraph reported that lenders were disposing of deeds as they were no longer required, which prompted me to ask for mine back. Following this, I asked my solicitor to register them with the Land Registry.
This was done, but disappointingly the Registry lost our deeds, so I asked my solicitor for a copy, which was supplied. I explained that the whole reason I had done this was to secure my original deeds. The Land Registry reimbursed me for the extra legal costs but couldn’t do any more. Subsequently they were found and gratefully returned.
Richard Hartley
Northampton
sir – As a retired solicitor, I deplore the destruction of old deeds.
Apart from their value in some cases as historical documents, I have known cases where they have proved useful in determining questions relating to matters such as the ownership of boundaries, where the Land Registry record has not been of any help.
It used to be an offence to destroy deeds, but I presume that this is no longer the case.
Brian Checkland
Thingwall, Wirral
sir – Paul Berry (Letters, April 10) is not alone in having his mortgage lender lose or destroy his title deeds.
On completing my mortgage with Northern Rock/virgin, I received an A4 sheet of paper with Land Registry details. On inquiring why I hadn’t received the “bundle” covering more than 120 years’ history of my plot and house, I was told that they didn’t have them. Eventually they admitted they had been “lost in transit” while being transferred to their new storage facility.
They were quite offhand and couldn’t understand what I was making a fuss about. Like Mr Berry I am more than a little peeved at the loss of my property’s history. Dennis Watling
Southend-on-sea, Essex
sir – On receiving the deeds for my house, along with the usual conveyances on parchment, indentures, legal charges and epitomes of title were two death certificates indicating that two of the previous occupants had died in accidents. Perhaps it would have been better not to receive the deeds after all.
Simon Rycroft
Haslemere, Surrey