Which document confirms the lender's first legal charge on a property?

• A. the documents used to record the transfer of a property from one person to another
• B. the loan offer issued by a lender to a borrower
• C. the document which allows the borrower to repay their loan to the lender at any given time, subject to the lender's approval
• D. the solicitor's declaration that the title of the property contains the first legal charge in favour of the lender

Answer: (D)

A lender’s first legal charge is a security on the property that gives the lender priority over other creditors if the borrower defaults. To be enforceable, this charge must be evidenced on the title and formally confirmed. The document that does this is the solicitor’s declaration, which states that the title contains the first legal charge in favour of the lender. The other options don’t establish or confirm the security: records of a property transfer relate to ownership changes, a loan offer sets lending terms, and a flexible repayment document describes repayment rights rather than security. The solicitor’s declaration specifically verifies the existence and priority of the lender’s charge on the title, making it the correct choice.