County Property Searches

General information

Property Enquiry Certificate

A Property Enquiry Certificate (PEC) assembles information regarding residential or commercial properties, or areas of lands, detailing statutory matters that are the responsibility of the owner, local authority or Scottish Water. The information detailed within the Property Enquiry Certificate is requested as part of the solicitors conveyancing actions. Some PEC providers simply use computer generated tick lists. With property transactions normally representing a significant investment, we don’t believe that this approach best serves our clients’ interests. At County Property Searches each of the key items shown below is fully investigated and a statement made on each.

The usual Property enquiry certificate collates information regarding:

■ Local Plans
■ Planning Applications
■ Listed Buildings
■ Conservation Areas
■ Building Standards Notices
■ Housing Notices
■ Grants
■ Roads
■ Water & Drainage
■ Environment Protection
■ Food Hygiene (where relevant)

Deed Plans

County Property Searches prepare deed plans. All of our deed plans are based on current ordnance survey data and meet all of the requirements for land registration with the Registers of Scotland. We are able to deal with complex title problems, and show the current extent of a property made up from various titles. Our team can also prepare Estate-type plans for larger properties. We can also prepare plans suitable for use in the marketing of residential and commercial properties for sale or let.

Archive Searches

Our Property Enquiry Certificate will detail any information regarding outstanding Planning Applications and Building Warrants affecting the property or area of land, as well as the adjacent areas, within the previous five years.

In some instances information will be required regarding to historic Planning Applications and Building Warrants. With the permission of the solicitor, we can search the Local Authorities archived files and retrieve details of planning permissions, building warrants, amendments to warrant and certificates of completion. In some cases it is also possible to obtain copies of the documentation and approved plans.

SEPA Consents

When houses are not served by a public sewerage system, the sewage and waste water from a house is treated by a septic tank or other form of treatment system. This system then normally discharges effluent to a soakaway. Where the soil conditions are not suitable for a soakaway then the discharge from the septic tank (or equivalent) may be to surface water, for example to a burn, river, loch, or the sea.

From 1 April 2006, there have been significant changes to the control of sewage discharges, following the introduction of the Controlled Activity Regulations 2005 (or CAR). County Property Searches will apply, on you or your solicitors instruction for sewage discharges from septic tanks (or equivalent) to soakaway or watercourse.