Land Registry

Covid-19 arrangements

Land Registry services from 27 March 2020

We will continue to operate as close to normal as possible in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. We would like to apologise to anyone who might be affected by a slower-than-usual service. Our committed staff are working under difficult circumstances to provide our services by alternative means.

Impact on our services

In February 2020 we began accepting applications for registration services by email to landapplications@gov.im in accordance with Practice Directive PD02/2020. 

• Applications will also be accepted if posted into our office at the Registries Building.
• We are prioritising the services that allow property transactions to continue as normal.
• We anticipate that some of our services will be affected by the current situation with some applications taking longer than usual.
• We anticipate the greatest disruption to new and voluntary applications and applications for possessory title.
• We anticipate moderate disruption to all other service.
• We aim to ensure new applications and applications for priority are recorded onto the register on the day of receipt.

Inspection Services

We have developed an online inspection tool to enable advocates and the conveyancing community to inspect an unofficial version of the title register remotely from their offices. This map tool may be found at Title Locator This enables users to obtain details of the title number in order to make an application for an official copy. This map effectively replaces the Public Counter Index Map service which has been withdrawn whilst our public counters are closed. We endeavour to update this map daily but it is not a live representation of the register and does not obviate the need for formal inspection and searches. A brief user guide has been prepared and is found in the "Downloadable Documents"

A number of search tools including tithe and asylum maps, the Woods Atlas and historic series maps may be found at www.gov.im/woodsatlas

Pre-1911 indices may be searched at www.gov.im/pre1911deeds and arrangements have been made to enable conveyancing professionals to obtain copies of these deeds while the Museum is closed.

Post-1911 deeds. Our scanned deeds and grants of probate may be searched and purchased via the Government online services page www.services.gov.im. Unscanned deeds may be ordered through that site and will be dispatched electronically. Our staff may be contacted at land@registry.gov.im for assistance in searching the Grantor and Grantee indices which are held on our site. All deeds registered after 1982 have been indexed and can be searched only. Deeds registered from 1992 may be purchased directly through the online service. All grants of probate from 1940 are indexed. Guidance on searching is available on “Deeds and Probate Registry” at www.services.gov.im

The Land Registry map is currently only viewable by our staff. On request to land@registry.gov.im staff will provide copy extracts of the title map and the base map. Office Copies may be applied for at the same account. There is no charge for these unofficial extract of the title map. Our usual fees apply to all other services.

Expedite an application

We apologise if your application is affected by this necessary prioritisation of work. If you feel that your application is urgent, you can ask us to expedite it by emailing land@registry.gov.im.  If we can approve your request, we will process your application sooner. 

Contacting the Land Registry 

We encourage all service users to email essential enquiries to: land@registry.gov.im. Please be aware you may not receive an immediate response. 

Office access and Registrar’s hearings 

Following Cabinet Office guidance and the practices adopted in the Courts and Tribunal Service all public access to our counters is currently suspended. All Registrar’s Hearings are suspended. 

The Expiry of Time limits for First Registration - Arrangements for the waiver of "Late registration filing fees" by the Land Registrar.

Under Section 23 of the Land Registration Act 1982 compulsory applications for registration must be submitted within 3 months of the relevant trigger event (eg completion of a sale of property). In default of this the instrument effecting the sale becomes void.

Void documents can be resurrected only by application to the Registrar and at his discretion. The Land Registration Fees Orders 2019 (SD2019/0229) imposes a fee of £100 for each application and a further £30 fee for further applications (This £30 fee applies only where a second application is made within the timeframe set by the Land Registrar on first approval (usually 30 days)).

The Isle of Man Law Society have made representations that during the State of Emergency this 3 month time period is likely to cause injustice as there will be more occasions when documents cannot be prepared on account, inter alia, of the closure of the Deed Registry to members of the public, search clerks and conveyancing professionals.

The Land Registrar has been granted ministerial authority to waive the fee of £100 and subsequent extension fee on a discretionary basis where advocates are able to demonstrate that the expiry of the period for registration falls within the period of the Coronavirus Proclamation Period. Applications should be made either by post in the existing Form 99 or in the new Form e99 which is enabled for electronic submission and should be emailed to landapplications@gov.im. If applications are received during the Proclamation period and the period for registration expires within that period then no payment is required. Applications received after expiry of the time for registration will also be considered but any application submitted 3 months after the end of the Proclamation period or for which the expiry period did not fall within the proclamation period will attract fees at the normal rate.

Advocates are reminded that the waiver of this fee does not alter the effect of non-registration at law. The consequence of a failure to register within the statutory time period is set out in Schedule 2 of the Land Registration Act 1982. Conveyances and Leases or Assignments become void at law for want of registration. It is therefore prudent in all cases to ensure that dispositions are registered within statutory time periods.

Note on using Form e99. This form is configured to be electronically signed via MS Office. To use the form you must save and rename it BEFORE adding your signature. Adding a signature automatically saves the document which should not then be saved a further time. Once signed the document should be added as an attachment and emailed to landapplications@gov.im.

Keeping you up to date 

Public access will be restored as circumstances allow. Further announcements will be made on this website until normal access can be restored.