What is the Official Custodian’s role in relation to land ?
A charity’s interests in land may be vested in the Official Custodian under section 21 of the Charities Act 1993. The primary advantage of vesting land in the name of the Official Custodian is that it avoids having to change the details of ownership of the land every time there is a change in trusteeship of the charity. This is helpful to unincorporated charities (such as trusts and associations) : charities which are companies, or otherwise have a form of corporate status, do not need this sort of service because title to property can be held in the charity’s own name, rather in those of the individual trustees. The Official Custodian usually allows the charity trustees to keep or have control of the land certificates or title deed to land which has been vested in him.
