Paying off mortgage

[Pudding9010]

Due to circumstances we are in a position to pay off our mortgage. The process seems fairly straightforward however once it is complete it feels like we are missing something tangible to say we own the house. I know it's electronic with the land registry but is that the only 'proof' you own it?

[PallasAthena]

You've owned the house all along - the building society never owned it! They just had a charge registered on it as security for their loan.

So yes, what's registered at the Land Registry is your only proof of ownership.

[atticus]

Yes. The Land Registry title is your proof of ownership.

[DE DOGS]

Just haveing the same,problem had arguments with the building society, stating it is there brief to forward the DEEDS, but as you are experiencing, Land Registry.

[PallasAthena]

The historical deeds documents, although no longer needed to prove ownership, are still your legal property and should be returned to you

They have historical and cultural value and the B/S are not entitled to just bin them.

But sadly many banks and B/S high- handedly just decided that once the title was registered the original deeds were worthless and binned them, even though they weren't theirs to bin.

[Pezza54]

I may be wrong. I am testing my memory
When I finished paying the mortgage, the building society offered me the deeds (they had been storing them)
I accepted the deeds and when I sold the property the conveyancing solicitor asked for them

I believe they should be kept safely

The original deeds contain a lot more than what's on the land registry and for an old property can be interesting reading

[atticus]

For many properties, "deeds" are now a thing of the past. If you are buying a property with a registered title, as most are now, there will not be a set of deeds of the kind I used to see when I started out in the early 1980s.