Charge showing on Title Deeds - Santander

Charge showing on Title Deeds - Santander

Author
Discussion

wilksy61

Original Poster:

439 posts

123 months

Friday 9th August
quotequote all
I wonder if someone could give me some advise on an issue I have with Santander and the title deeds for my property, which I am looking to sell shortly.

There is a charge on my deeds from 2007 in favour of Alliance & Leicester, it was for a secured loan that was paid off many years ago, I only found out it was still on the deeds during due diligence, so I am trying to get it removed, however I am having a real problem with Santander.

As I'm sure you know Santander took over the Alliance & Leicester in 2008 and I am fairly sure this is why I have the problem. I have now spoken to 5 different people at Santander, all have promised to sort it out in 7 to 10 working days, and still nothing has changed on the deeds - I took a look at them yesterday for the princely sum of £3.00.

I'm just not getting anywhere and this charge needs to be removed as with it still showing I cannot sell my property, any advise or help would be gratefully received.

Rufus Stone

8,164 posts

63 months

Friday 9th August
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Ask your conveyancing solicitor to arrange for its removal. They will probably get a quicker response.


skyebear

404 posts

13 months

Friday 9th August
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My first step would be to put a formal complaint in which means they're on a clock to review your case.

Include the Deeds, and any loan paperwork and confirmation of it being paid off.

Unfortunately it's Santander and there's half a dozen threads on here about how hopeless and uninterested they are.

Your solicitor could also contact the Land Registry(?) with proof of loan settlement. Maybe there's been a filing error at their end?

Also does your credit report show the loan repayment history and it having been marked as settled?

Edited by skyebear on Friday 9th August 09:12

Actual

1,028 posts

113 months

Friday 9th August
quotequote all
Put a Land Registry Property Alert on so that you get an email if anything changes on your title deeds.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/property-alert

Just for fun make alerts on your family friends and neighbours properties which can throw up interesting things.

wilksy61

Original Poster:

439 posts

123 months

Friday 9th August
quotequote all
Thanks for your replies, my property is not yet on the market, so I have no solicitor engaged at the moment, credit history is clear nothing showing as in I have no outstanding debt with Santander (if it did it would show I've missed a payment for the last 14 years).

Santander have been pretty poor over this, I do actual bank with them and have done so since they took over Alliance & Leicester, I think if nothing shows on the Land Registry by mid next week I will raise a complaint and see it that makes any difference.

Unfortunately I have no paperwork for the actual loan as I clear anything like that after one year of completion.

Thanks for the alert suggestion, looked at that and now subscribed.

anotherbigspender

99 posts

57 months

Friday 9th August
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Land Registry take a long time to update records - it won't change overnight once they submit the application to remove the charge.

You can normally tell when you go to buy a copy of the Title Register if there is a pending application, as the LR system will flag it at that point.

A copy of the filed DS1 prepared and submitted by Santander's solicitor should be sufficient to put any potential purchaser's mind at rest that the charge is being removed.

2 GKC

2,059 posts

112 months

Friday 9th August
quotequote all
Actual said:
Put a Land Registry Property Alert on so that you get an email if anything changes on your title deeds.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/property-alert

Just for fun make alerts on your family friends and neighbours properties which can throw up interesting things.
Interesting things like what? Don’t you just get an email saying something has happened, but no detail on what?

nyt

1,848 posts

157 months

Friday 9th August
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I had exactly the same situation, I spoke to Santander and they fixed it in a couple of days.

I'm sorry that I don't have the number to give you, but I think that I just went through the Santander help desk.

If you monitor activity on your land registry's property page you'll be notified of the charge's removal as son as it happens

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/property-alert

Actual

1,028 posts

113 months

Friday 9th August
quotequote all
2 GKC said:
Actual said:
Put a Land Registry Property Alert on so that you get an email if anything changes on your title deeds.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/property-alert

Just for fun make alerts on your family friends and neighbours properties which can throw up interesting things.
Interesting things like what? Don’t you just get an email saying something has happened, but no detail on what?
Notified by email of any activity affecting the title deeds including being locked by a solicitor prior to a change of ownership.

Lacking in real details but sometimes the smallest piece of knowledge speaks volumes.

Notifications arrive within a day or maybe same day and can show how slow solicitors are to get on with a property transaction.

What is interesting is that you can get a notification for any property and you don't need to be the owner.

Redacted examples

Property Alert reference: 451XXXX
There has been activity on the following property for which you have requested a Property Alert notification.
Property address: XX XXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Title number: HPXXXXXX
The activity details are:-
Application lodged by XXXX XXXXXXXX SOLICITORS LL
On: XX.Jun.2024 At: 11:XX:XX
Customer reference: XXXXXXXXX-0001/CONV
HM Land Registry reference: XXXXXXXX

Another example
Search lodged by XXXX XXXXXXXX SOLICITORS LL
To protect a pending: Charge
In favour of: XXXXXXX MORTGAGES LIMITED

Even a change of name by owner after marriage
The activity details are:-
Application lodged by XXXXX XXX XXX TO BE XXXXXX XXX YYYYYYY

Remove a Charge by a bank
The activity details are:-
Application lodged by BARCLAYS BANK UK PLC

wilksy61

Original Poster:

439 posts

123 months

Friday 16th August
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Still not sorted out, I'm now at day 47 and 7 different people at Santander I have spoken with, the person I had pinned my hopes on just filed a report and have said that Santander have no charge on the property, this is despite me sending them the title deeds which quite clearly show that there is a charge in favour of Alliance & Leicester from 2007.

I have now raised a formal complaint so here we go again, apparently I will get a call sometime today, if that happens I will be amazed.

Assuming the complaint does not produce the result then I guess the next step is to instruct a solicitor.

trickywoo

12,288 posts

237 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
wilksy61 said:
Still not sorted out, I'm now at day 47 and 7 different people at Santander I have spoken with, the person I had pinned my hopes on just filed a report and have said that Santander have no charge on the property, this is despite me sending them the title deeds which quite clearly show that there is a charge in favour of Alliance & Leicester from 2007.

I have now raised a formal complaint so here we go again, apparently I will get a call sometime today, if that happens I will be amazed.

Assuming the complaint does not produce the result then I guess the next step is to instruct a solicitor.
I don’t know if Santander have ever been ok but they are dreadful for resolving anything now.

They locked my account two weeks ago and counting nobody can unlock it.

I got a complaint in early as I could see which way it was going. Makes no difference and nobody will call you back.

I’ve done a financial ombudsman report. No idea if it will help.

wilksy61

Original Poster:

439 posts

123 months

Monday 19th August
quotequote all
Well wonders will never cease, I was actually called by Santander as promised, basically they have now agreed that they do have a charge on the property, this is despite me sending them a copy of the deeds on 1st July.

The lady was very apologetic and said the charge would be removed and also offered me £200.00 as a gesture.

wilksy61

Original Poster:

439 posts

123 months

Monday 9th September
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Quick update on my issue, we are now on day 70, the charge is still showing on the deeds, the form from Santander was sent to the Land Registry office who in turn have sent it back to Santander on the 2nd September for some more information.

Unfortunately its seems they have sent it to the Santander Mortgage Redemptions department which is where I sent the original request on the 1st July.

Santander where/are supposed to come back to me today, which I very much doubt, so what do I do now, its like a game of tennis with me in the middle tearing my hair out.

ferret50

1,567 posts

16 months

Monday 9th September
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wilksy61

Original Poster:

439 posts

123 months

Monday 9th September
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Email address bounced back.

ferret50

1,567 posts

16 months

Monday 9th September
quotequote all
Bugger!

Sorry.

biggrin

Jungleland

66 posts

10 months

Wednesday 11th September
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That's the old CEO.

Did a bit of digging - there is a generic email - ceo@santander.co.uk which people have had joy from.

I worked in cust services for a bank some time ago and essentially a complaint is the most effective way of resolving issues. So yeh try that email too. The bank I worked at put emails to the CEO in a special 'exec complaints' pot that seemed to be dealt with with slightly more enthusiasm than the rest. Quite often people do want to help but the muddle of various systems make it hard. You just need one useless person in the chain to make your request fall down.

Good luck.


wilksy61

Original Poster:

439 posts

123 months

Wednesday 11th September
quotequote all
Thanks, will try that CEO mail address, I have now raised it to another complaint so it will have to be answered, the lady in complaints that I spoke with last month has now spoken to me and said she will "try" to sort it out.

I have little confidence, but if she is unsuccessful and the email to the CEO gets nowhere what then, I am now at day 73 and basically back to square one.

wilksy61

Original Poster:

439 posts

123 months

Wednesday 11th September
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That email address has bounced back as well.

ferret50

1,567 posts

16 months

Thursday 12th September
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Daily Fail?

hehe