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WHAT ARE TITLE DEEDS?
Title Deeds show who owns the property and what the property consists of i.e. how many rooms and where the boundaries are. A Deed of Conditions is often provided to say how the property is to be managed and maintained. If you have a Deed of Conditions this is the document you should look through to find out who is responsible for how decisions are made.
LEGISLATION The Tenements (Scotland) Act was introduced in November 2004. It aims to make sure that communal parts of the building are kept in good repair and applies to any building that is divided into two or more flats on different floors. The Act does not override Title Deeds, but is intended to fill any gaps and replace unworkable clauses. www.opsi.gov.uk
WHERE CAN I GET MY TITLE DEEDS? If you don’t already have them your property manager, solicitor or building society may be able to send you a copy of your Title Deeds and Deed of Conditions. You can also get copies for a small charge from the Registers of Scotland at Erskine House, 68 Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4NF Tel: 0845 607 0161 Fax: 0131 200 3932
Textphone Users: 0845 607 01 68 http://www.ros.gov.uk/
WHAT’S IN THE TITLE DEEDS The deeds are normally a collection of papers containing the original Deeds and subsequent Dispositions showing later sales of the house. The information you want will most likely be in the original Deed of Conditions. The deed will divide itself into sections as follows:
- Details of original disposition – who sold what to whom and for how much - Details of property e.g. flat position, land boundaries, which county the property lies in - Details of property including what is common property in flats - Feu payments - How you must come to agreement with other owners about repairs, when you must consult other owners and how much each owner pays for repairs - Insurance - The factor’s duties and arrangements for using them (for flats) - Your obligations to other owners - Details of arbitration procedures
This leaflet gives you advice and information on reading your property deeds. It’s important to know what is in your deeds following the introduction of new legislation.
HOW TO READ YOUR
TILTLE DEEDS
West Lothian Council delivers
WHAT’S IN THE TITLE DEEDS CONTINUED
- What happens if people do not pay - A final declaration that these are real burdens which will not change when a flat is sold.
Your Title Deeds may also have some useful clauses governing or controlling what your neighbours can do and requiring them to give access for repairs etc. Don’t assume that your neighbours title deeds will say the same as your own, particularly in older or sub-divided properties.
WHAT IF THERE ARE NO DEEDS OR THEY DON’T CONTAIN THE INFORMATION YOU EXPECT? If there is nothing in your Title Deeds on a specific topic or if the information that is there is unworkable then the new Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 might apply. The Tenements Act covers all buildings that are divided into 2 or more horizontal parts. However, the Title Deeds always take priority so it is important to know what is in them.
Speak to your solicitor – they should be able to advise you of when the Tenements Act will apply and what effect it will have.
Use this checklist to note down what your deeds say.
1 What does your building consist of? (You could be part of a bigger plot than you think.) Even in a house, you may have obligations to neighbours.
CHECKLIST
What parts of the building are you
responsible for?
Roof..........................................................................................................................
Chimneys .......................................................................................................
Flues........................................................................................................................
Skylights...........................................................................................................
Aerials...................................................................................................................
Walls........................................................................................................................
Drainpipes ....................................................................................................
Other pipes .................................................................................................................. Drains..................................................................................................................................... Stair windows .......................................................................................................... Flat windows ............................................................................................................. Stair, steps ...................................................................................................................... Lifts etc ................................................................................................................................ Hallways ............................................................................................................................ Closes..................................................................................................................................... Vennels................................................................................................................................ Front gardens........................................................................................................... Back gardens............................................................................................................. Any other lands..................................................................................................... Paths........................................................................................................................................ Binstores ........................................................................................................................... Cellars .................................................................................................................................... WHAT ABOUT MAIN DOOR FLATS? Do main door flats have access to the stair?........................................................................................... Do main door flats have have to share cost of cleaning/ painting stair? ............................................................... DECISION MAKING How are decisions to be made (meetings, majority decision etc…) ........................................................................ Definition of maintenance and improvements ......................................................................................... Use of a factor.......................................................................................................... Share of costs to be paid by each flat .................................................................................................. OTHER RULES Use of house for business purposes ........................................................................................... Where you can/cannot hang washing, put bins etc…......................................................
GLOSSARY OF WORDS AND PHRASES THAT
MAY BE FOUND IN YOUR TITLE DEEDS
Pertinances - something which belongs to
the property of a person.
Primo - first item or person
Proprietor/Proprietrix - the owner
Quarto - fourth item or person
Quoad - as far as
Real Conditions - obligations affecting the
use and enjoyment of land, usually imposed
by superiors when reffering to buildings to
be created on such land to define the use of
the land (and hence buildings).
Real Burdens - a restriction or duty placed
on heritable property or the owner of such
property which can be transferred from one
owner to the next.
Real Property - used in English legal terms
to mean property in the form of land and
buildings. In Scotland, Heritable Property is
the nearest equivalent term.
Resolutive Clauses - clauses which define or sort out an issue or property.
Secundo - second item or person.
Servitude - an obligation that runs with the property which obliges an owner to allow other people to do certain things.
Solum - the ground the property stands on.
Steading - farmed or cultivated land. Tertio - third item or thing.
Transmission - a transfer of property.
Videlict - namely (often shortened to viz).
Warrandice - a gaurantee.
Writ - a legal document.
Information is available in Braille, on tape, in large print and community languages. Please contact the Interpretation and Translation Service on 0131 242 8181.
