The Land Registration Rules 2003

[F1 Land Registry – when open for business E+W

Textual Amendments

F1 Rule 216 and cross-heading substituted (6.4.2018) by The Land Registration (Amendment) Rules 2018 (S.I. 2018/70), rule 1, Sch. 1 para. 35

Days on which the Land Registry is open for business E+W

216.— (1) Subject to paragraph (2), the land registry shall be open for business daily except on—

(a) Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday, or

(b) any other day—

(i) specified or declared by proclamation under section 1 of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971,

(ii) appointed by the Secretary of State, or

(iii) [F2 certified as an interrupted business day under rule 216A(1).]

(2) If the registrar is satisfied that adequate arrangements have been made or will be in place for opening the land registry for business on any or all of the days referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph (1), he may, in such manner as he considers appropriate, give notice to that effect.

(3) On and after the date specified in any notice given pursuant to paragraph (2), paragraph (1) shall have effect as though the relevant day or days referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) or (b), as specified in the notice, had been omitted.

(4) The date specified in any notice referred to in paragraph (3) must be at least eight weeks after the date of the notice.

F3 (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F3 (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F3 (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F3 (8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(9) The registrar may make such arrangements as he sees fit for personal attendance by members of the public for the purpose of land registry business on any business day or days, and such attendance may be—

(a) by appointment only,

(b) limited to specified times,

(c) at a specified office or offices of the land registry or any other specified location, and

(d) limited to specified services,

and the registrar shall in such manner as he considers appropriate give notice to that effect.]

Textual Amendments

F2 Rule 216(1)(b)(iii) substituted (16.4.2020) by The Land Registration (Amendment) Rules 2020 (S.I. 2020/425), rules 1, 4(1)

F3 Rule 216(5)-(8) omitted (16.4.2020) by virtue of The Land Registration (Amendment) Rules 2020 (S.I. 2020/425), rules 1, 4(2)

[F4 Interrupted day E+W

216A.— (1) The registrar may certify any day as an interrupted business day or an interrupted working day or both if he is satisfied that on that day there is likely to be—

(a) a general delay in, or failure of, a communication service in England and Wales, or

(b) any other event or circumstance,

causing a substantial interruption in the normal operation of the land registry.

(2) The registrar must give notice publicising the certification in such manner as he considers appropriate.

(3) The certification must take place before the start of the day being certified.

(4) Certification of a day as an interrupted working day shall have the effect of extending–

(a) the date and time given in the result of an official search with priority as the date and time at which priority expires,

(b) the date and time fixed by a notice given by the registrar or any longer period that the registrar may allow in accordance with these rules, and

(c) the period specified by the registrar for compliance with a requisition,

to include an additional number of working days equal to the number of interrupted working days falling within the priority period of the official search, the time fixed by the notice or any longer period allowed by the registrar, or the period specified by the registrar.

(5) Certification of a day as an interrupted working day shall be disregarded for the purposes of rules 107, 187(2), 194E, 194F and 199.

(6) In this rule–

“communication service” means a service by which documents may be sent and delivered and includes a post service, a document exchange service and electronic communications,

“priority period” has the same meaning as in Part 13.]

Textual Amendments

F4 Rule 216A inserted (16.4.2020) by The Land Registration (Amendment) Rules 2020 (S.I. 2020/425), rules 1, 5