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Whilst the introduction of LRA 2002 did not alter the legal requirements for submitting plans to the LR, in practice the LR took the opportunity to tighten
up its requirements.
In particular, be wary of relying on photocopied plans:
there was much talk last year of a lease application being rejected because
solicitors had photocopied what were otherwise excellent large-scale plans;
the problem was that the photocopying had distorted the plans by 1mm (!) and
that was enough to justify their rejection. Accordingly, do not rely on photocopied
plans; instead use prints supplied by the architect or surveyor.
Also, watch out for plans reduced in scale. A reduced size plan will only be
acceptable if the original scale marking has been deleted, or if it is clearly
marked as being a reduced size copy, or if the actual (new) scale is stated.
In particular, bear in mind that a plan attached to a certified copy of an
original deed must not be a reduced copy of the original; it must be identical
to the original in all respects.
A reminder of the main detailed plan requirements:
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a plan should show its actual scale and orientation;
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use 1/1250 - 1/500 for urban properties; use 1/2500 for a rural (eg
fields and farms);
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do not refer to imperial scales of measurement;
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plans should be sufficiently detailed for properties to be identifiable on
the OS map. Any buildings should be marked in their correct position, as
should access drives and pathways;
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make sure that any edgings are not too thick to obscure any other details.
If boundaries are intricate, then consider a larger scale (or inset) plan;
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show undefined boundaries accurately (eg by reference to
measurements).
Bear in mind also that the LR will not accept any plan that is marked with
any kind of disclaimer or other denial of accuracy (eg 'for identification
purposes only'; 'for reference only'; 'accuracy not guaranteed'; 'do not scale
from this drawing'; or any statement of disclaimer under Property
Misdescriptions Act 1991).
For further guidance see Land Registry Practice Guide 40.
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June 2005 |
