Property Search Request Form

Why do I need to use this form?

In an Office of Fair Trading report on the Personal Search Market published in September 2005, one of the three key concerns identified was:

"Consumers lack of awareness about property searches, and the level of protection offered by different products varies"

The Council has over a long period of time received numerous visits from members of the public desperately seeking help to obtain information to all them to proceed with their house purchase.

In many cases information or copies of documentation have not been provided automatically within the Personal Search. But to finalise the sale many homebuyers still need answers to these questions. This can mean you have to incur additional costs and time obtaining this information or documentation, purely because the Council has not produced your Local Land Charges Search.

If you do not inform your solicitor of your choice, he can make this on your behalf and may not inform you at the time of what action he has taken, which can result in the above situation arising.

So what do you need to know to make a decision on your REQUEST FORM?

The Council's Local Land Charges Search Service

• We provide a comprehensive service with all questions answered
• Provide free of charge at least 3x copies of Decisions and 3x copies of Approval notices (if applicable)
• Provide upon request a free tracking service to the consumer
• Ability for you to contact us direct
• Authorised to produce the Certificate (LLC1) required by many Mortgage companies and the Con29
• Provide website information and contact details for you.

Personal Search Companies

Services vary from company to company.

• Company may be contracted directly to your solicitor
• You many then not be able to discuss issues with them directly
• May need to make an appointment with solicitor to seek clarification
• You or your solicitor may need to undertake some work to fill in the question gaps (may be further charges incurred)
• Not authorised to produce LLC1 documentation
• May use their company insurance to cover for any information they are not able to gain access to as it is not public information.

Public Registers

You may well choose to visit our offices and extract the register information for a fee of £11 but if you require further information relating to questions raised on a Con29 then these have to be submitted to the Council (for a full response) or a Personal Search Company for a possible limited response to your questions with any gaps covered by their insurance.

Contact Details

Local Land Charges Service

Email - locallandcharges@chester.gov.uk

Opening hours - 9.00am - 4.45pm

Phone - 01244 402585

Fax - 01244 310071

DX - DX 722411 CHESTER 17

Address - Local Land Charges, Development Directorate, Chester City Council, The Forum, Chester CH1 2HS