When does the legal estate pass to the new owner in a sale of land that is registered?

• A. On completion of the sale
• B. When the buyer's stamp duty is paid
• C. When HM Land Registry updates the proprietorship register to reflect the transfer
• D. Immediately on exchange of contracts

Answer: (C)

In registered land, the legal ownership transfer happens through the Land Registry, not by money changing hands or by contract alone. The legal estate passes to the buyer when HM Land Registry updates the proprietorship register to show the buyer as the new proprietor. Registration is the formal act that transfers the legal title; until that entry is made, the seller remains the legal owner on the register. Stamp duty is a tax and does not affect title, exchange of contracts binds the deal but doesn’t transfer legal ownership, and completion is about payment and possession, not the moment the legal title changes hands. So the correct moment is when the Land Registry reflects the transfer in the register.