In a sale by the survivor of two co-owners who held as beneficial joint tenants, which statement correctly reflects the register status before completion?

• A. The deceased owner is still shown as a registered proprietor
• B. The surviving owner becomes the sole proprietor
• C. A copy of the deceased's death certificate is required for title transfer
• D. The mortgage must be uplifted before completion

Answer: (A)

In a beneficial joint tenancy, survivorship governs ownership after death, but the Land Registry position is about the transaction stage. Before completion of a sale by the survivor, the register reflects the status as it stood before the sale, so the deceased co-owner remains shown as a registered proprietor. The survivor’s name does not yet become the sole proprietor on the register until the completion and registration of the transfer. A copy of the deceased’s death certificate isn’t required to complete title transfer at this stage because the survivorship principle has already determined the deceased’s interest passes to the survivor, and the registry update occurs on completion. The mortgage doesn’t have to be uplifted before completion—the usual focus is sorting the existing charge at completion as part of the sale proceeds.