SEV: Form A restriction, application to enter (severance of joint tenancy)
Form SEV is the short HM Land Registry application joint owners use to enter a Form A restriction on their title after they have severed a joint tenancy and now hold the property as tenants in common.
This is the genuine HM Land Registry PDF, unmodified. Source: HM Land Registry official page.
What is SEV?
Property held by two or more people is either a joint tenancy, where the survivor takes the whole, or a tenancy in common, where each owner has a distinct share that passes under their will or the intestacy rules. Severing the joint tenancy changes it to a tenancy in common, and the Form A restriction on the register is what records that a sole surviving proprietor cannot give a valid receipt for capital money.
SEV is a three page form for exactly that situation. It identifies the title number and property, the applicants, and the basis of the application, with a statement of truth or conveyancer certificate confirming the severance. The form itself notes that no fee is currently payable for entering a Form A restriction.
Who files SEV?
- Joint owners who have served a notice of severance on each other
- Couples separating who want their shares to pass under their wills rather than by survivorship
- A surviving owner or personal representative dealing with a severance made before a death
- Conveyancers entering the restriction as part of a wider transaction
How to fill out SEV
- Sever the joint tenancy first, normally by written notice to the other joint owner or by a deed of severance.
- Enter the title number and property address on the form.
- Name the applicants and give the address for correspondence from HM Land Registry.
- Complete the statement of truth or the conveyancer certificate confirming that the joint tenancy has been severed.
- Send the signed form and any evidence of severance to HM Land Registry Citizen Centre, PO Box 7806, Bilston, WV1 9QR.
Quick fill SEV on this page
Prefer to see the form itself while you type? Open SEV in the editor to fill it on the actual pages, add a signature, and download.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a fee for form SEV?
The form states that no fee is currently payable for entering a Form A restriction. Fees do change, so check the current HM Land Registry fee guidance on gov.uk before you send the application.
Do both owners have to agree?
Severance can be effected by one joint owner serving written notice on the other, so it does not require agreement. What matters is that the severance was properly effected before the restriction is applied for.
What does the Form A restriction actually do?
It stops a disposition by a sole proprietor being registered unless capital money is paid to at least two trustees or a trust corporation, which protects the beneficial shares behind the trust.