Which organisation is responsible for issuing the documentation granting a personal representative the authority to sell a sole registered proprietor's property after death?

• A. The Probate Registry
• B. The Court of Protection
• C. The Land Registry
• D. The Registrar of Wills

Answer: (A)

The key idea is who proves that someone has the authority to deal with a deceased person’s assets. After someone dies, the assets, including any property, are owned by the deceased person in their name. A personal representative—an executor or administrator—must obtain a grant of representation to show they have the legal authority to act for the estate, including selling property. In England and Wales, that grant is issued by the Probate Registry. This grant (probate if there was a will, or letters of administration if there wasn’t) is the official document you present to the Land Registry and other parties to show you have the power to sell the property.

The other bodies have different roles. The Court of Protection handles decisions for adults who lack capacity while alive, not authority after death. The Land Registry records who owns land and handles registrations, but it doesn’t grant authority to act for an estate. The Registrar of Wills isn’t the body that issues the authority in this context. So the Probate Registry is the correct organisation because it is the official source of the grant of representation needed to sell the deceased’s property.