Land Registry Makes it Easier to Re-Mortgage

The Land Registry’s digital service “Sign your mortgage deed” was launched a year ago and is now being offered by major high street lenders.

11.04.2019

The service enables people to sign and submit their mortgage deed online (which can be done on a phone, tablet or computer) without the need to print out the deed, sign it in the presence of a third-party witness and return it by post. 

At first glance this seems less secure than a paper copy signed in the presence of an independent witness. However, the deed is digitally signed and, in place of a witness, uses gov.uk.verify to confirm the mortgagor’s identity, which provides an additional level of security over signing a paper deed. The digital mortgage deed is then held on the Land Registry’s IT database, making it more secure than a paper copy which could be lost or tampered with.

The service is currently only available for re-mortgages. It will not be extended to apply to all mortgages until further testing has been carried out. The banks that have signed up to the service include the following:

  • HSBC
  • Nationwide
  • RBS
  • NatWest
  • Skipton Building Society
  • West Bromwich Building Society
  • First Direct
  • Clydesdale Yorkshire Banking Group
  • Atom Bank
  • Coventry Building Society
  • Metro Bank
  • Principality Building Society
  • Platform (a trading name of the Co-operative Bank)
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hm-land-registry-is-making-it-easier-to-remortgage

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