Sasine Registers

Sasine Registers

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Overview

The Sasine Registers held by the Registrars of Scotland are the old-style title sheets for Scotland that were first created in the 1870’s. They record a chronological history of sales and dispositions that have occurred over the years since the property itself was first recorded.

The main purpose for obtaining a copy of the Sasine Registers is to obtain ownership details of a property that has not yet been registered with the Land Registry, i.e. in obtaining pre-registration ownership details. No such records are available in England and Wales.

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Two Separate Registers

The Sasines are divided into two distinct sets of records, those for properties registered before 1959 and those for properties registered after 1959. Unlike the modern registered Titles, the Sasines are not map-based, but are registered according to their property description. These records are quite difficult to search for as the first line of the entry may relate to the property’s placement within the road in which is resides, rather than a full property address.

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Pre-1959 Sasine Register

Sample Extract of the first section of a Pre-1959 Sasine Register.

161-325

339621
Search Sheet, County of Angus

With House &c. 294 GREYNESS ROAD, Dundee thereon, east by HYNDFORD STREET, Dundee, part of Estate of GREYNESS, in City and Parish of Dundee, with Teinds.

(From SS 72)

£140
837   (No 14)   Mar. 12. 1963.   10-10-30   (By Post) 2974.149.
FEU DISP by GREYNESS ESTATES LIMITED - TO William Anderson Smith, 38 Abbotlee Road, Dundee, - of the S of S Dated Feb 23, 1967.

All properties in Scotland that existed prior to 1959 would appear in such a Sasine Sheet and will correspond to that held in the electronic search sheets. The very first page of the Sasine Register may have a prior Sasine number. This would relate to a larger property that the current property was once part of. This is indicated, above by (from SS 72).

This reference corresponds to Search Sheet Number 72 within the designated County, Angus, which was being searched. The record would also refer to Deed numbers and the ownership details and there would be a note of the price paid.

Some properties may have become registered prior to their being transferred to the Post-1959 Sasine Registers, in which case a note of its Title Number will be found endorsed on the final page of the record.

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Post-1959 Sasine Register

Sample Extract of the first section of a Post-1959 Sasine Register.

• Search Sheet - Angus 339621
  User Reference: McKendrick-2294949770087

  Search sheet details
  Number: 1
  Description: ground with house 294 GREYNESS ROAD, DUNDEE, referred to in Feu Disp. to William Anderson Smith, recorded 12 Mar. 1963.
  From: FROM II Series SS 339621 Vol.132 Folio. 354
  Burdens:

  Search sheet Angus 339621

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  Date	Deed Ref	Notes
  11 Feb. 2012	00471 (No 13)	DISP.by Executor William Anderson Smith, 38 Abotlee Road, (No 13) Dundee - TO MARGARET MARY SMITH - of ground with house 294 GREYNESS ROAD, DUNDEE, referred to in Feu Disp. to William Anderson Smith, recorded 2 Mar 1963; which subjects were last vested in William Anderson Smith from whom said Granter acquired right by Certificate of Confirmation. Dated 12 Feb 2012. - WILL.
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  The Post-1959 Sasine Register may have a link to a registered title sheet in the Land Register if the property has now been registered. It will contain a description of the property as well as a partial property address (there is never a post code recorded in the Sasines).

  There will be a list of any charges over the property and the latest entry under disposition will show the current owner of the property and their registered address (unless the property is now registered in the Land Register). The record will show the date the transaction took place and a Deed number (Deeds can be ordered if more information is needed for a particular transaction). The price paid will also be shown in each recorded sale.

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2024

In 2024 the Sasine Register will be terminated. It is to be replaced with a new map-based Land Register. This will represent a huge step forward in searching records of non-registered properties in Scotland.

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Land Registration

Registration of properties, in line with those of England and Wales, was introduced in Scotland in 1981. It was started in Renfrew, followed the succeeding year by Dunbarton and two years later by Lanark. Properties are first registered when there is a trigger event, which in the beginning was a new purchase or mortgage. Once a property is registered it is quite easy to obtain all the appropriate details of ownership and the property itself.