Be Careful Working Away

[OwlHoot]

I can't see any point in trying to steal official ownership of a property in this day and age, as in the present case, besides squatting

It seems a completely daft crime, as it is almost bound to come to light and the real owner or their successors in title reinstated and the fraudster prosecuted with ample evidence readily available.

It's been much the same for hundreds of years, even when life was more uncertain and absent owners harder to trace, and long before the Land Registry was around, because if/when the true owner turned up they only had to request an Assize of novel disseisin to get their land or property back and they were usually successful.

[NotAllThere]

... the fraudster prosecuted with ample evidence readily available....

Step 1. Identify the fraudster.

[mattster]

I can't see any point in trying to steal official ownership of a property in this day and age, as in the present case, besides squatting

It seems a completely daft crime, as it is almost bound to come to light and the real owner or their successors in title reinstated and the fraudster prosecuted with ample evidence readily available.

The fraudster in this case seems to have been the one who "sold" the house to an unsuspecting buyer and has since made off with the cash. Right or wrong (ok, wrong), I can still see the point of this from the criminal's perspective.

[Gibbon]

Seems quite an audacious attempt given how long it takes a sale to go through.

A good time to remind people about this notification service - it will ping you of anything happening to the addresses you enter: https://propertyalert.landregistry.gov.uk/

Good Shout!, beat me to it, I'm still getting alerts about old properties ( I know I should delete), but they give you fair warning of anything untoward about to happen.

[DoctorStrangelove]

Ah, dear dead days beyond recall when he was still funny.

[d000hg]

Good Shout!, beat me to it, I'm still getting alerts about old properties ( I know I should delete), but they give you fair warning of anything untoward about to happen.

Yeah I never remove any so I get informed when past houses get sold again which is vaguely interesting as an excuse to be nosy online.

[GJABS]

Maybe it is the original owner who is the real fraudster? He could have set up a clone of his own details, including a "fake" bank account, his end game being a payout from the solicitor's insurance.

[SueEllen]

Maybe it is the original owner who is the real fraudster? He could have set up a clone of his own details, including a "fake" bank account, his end game being a payout from the solicitor's insurance.

You saying a man of the cloth is involved in criminal activity ?

[GJABS]

You saying a man of the cloth is involved in criminal activity ?

The perfect cover

[d000hg]

You saying a man of the cloth is involved in criminal activity ?

Every murder mystery I ever did has a priest or vicar