Unregistered rent charges – sale of family inheritance

The problem

Transfers of rent charges (unlike those of freehold and leasehold ground rents) are not subject to compulsory registration at the Land Registry. This means that most of the rent charge portfolios we buy are unregistered; this one was no exception.

The solution

After the box of deeds was delivered to us, we managed to schedule all the vendor’s rent charge interests and at the same time checked out the root of title. This then made it possible for us to complete the purchase. When the vendor had originally approached us (and he did that because he had heard that we were specialists in the ground rent market), he was very doubtful about the value of his portfolio; after completion, he was extremely pleased that we had created value for him.