Some 60% of land owners are not aware of the 12 October deadline for registering manorial rights, a survey by Knight Frank has found. On top of this 70% were not sure if their manorial rights were registered.
The research also found that 95% of land owners have experienced some form of boundary issues and over half have been affected by fly tipping.
‘Manorial rights often include valuable mineral and sporting rights so they are definitely worth protecting,’ said Michael McCullough, head of mapping and GIS at Knight Frank.
‘Those most at risk are where land has been sold, often many years ago, with vacant possession, but the manorial rights retained. As of 12 October this autumn any overriding interest in these rights will be lost if they have not been registered,’ he explained.
The survey also revealed the extent to which rural landowners suffer from boundary issues. Disputes over the position of boundaries were the most common complaint and only 5% of respondents said they had not experienced any problems. Fly tipping and encroachment by neighbours were the next most common problems.
‘It is very rare that I don’t find any issues during a boundary audit. In many cases the exact position of boundaries is unclear and encroachment is all too common without periodic checking on the ground against your legal title,’ added McCullough.
