"Richard" wrote
| I was going to ramble on about who is benefiting most from
| this transaction but I really think that it's going to be
| too much trouble to go through a formal transfer. They're
| much better off just moving a fence to benefit the new
| owner in return for a wodge of notes to the current owner
| and forgetting about the registration issues. Give it 10
| years

12, IIRC

| and apply for adverse possession. That'll cost the OP
| a certain amount but, if the current owner doesn't object,
| should be less hassle than trying to do it properly now.

It will not work, as the possession is not *adverse*, which is a
prerequisite for *adverse* possession.

And what happens if the current owner sells / dies / becomes mentally
incapable / a motorway is to be built through the property / etc...

Local authority and other searches are another thing, they may have been
done when the house was purchased but since then there may be new government
ideas, environmental regulations etc.

On the subject of legal fees, there are provisions where the land value is
below a certain amount and there is no conflict of interest for *one*
solicitor to advise both parties.

Owain