News

February 2010

Land Registry Direct and the Land Registry Portal

Land Registry Direct (LRD), the Land Registry’s platform for business e-services, will close on the 31st March 2010. LRD is being replaced by the Land Registry Portal (Portal) which has been available to users for approximately 18 months.

The main aims of the Portal are to take steps towards e-conveyancing, quicker processing of applications and the ability of users to act as administrators with the Land Registry acting more in a support role.

What are the options available to Portal users?

There are two services available to all users – Information Services and Network Services, and one available to lenders and their third party agents alone – Lender Services.

1. Information Services

These are the services current users of LRD will be familiar with, for example, requesting official copies and day list enquiries. Subscription to Information Services is mandatory and requires the user to sign up to the Portal Conditions of Use.

Improvements to the Information Services compared to those available through LRD include the ability of users to lodge OS2 searches and searches of the index map by uploading plans which will save time, and pdf downloads will be available for up to seven days rather than one day which is currently the case with LRD.

2. Network Services

The availability of Network Services is the most significant change from LRD. These ‘e-services’ will enable users to create and lodge electronic documents using electronic signatures. A number of different e-services are available, for example, e-RX1 (electronic application to enter a restriction) and e-UN2 (electronic application for the removal of a unilateral notice). An e-TR1 is currently unavailable but the Land Registry are aiming to provide this service in late 2011.

Automated registration of the death of a proprietor and change of name of a proprietor are also available.

In order to access Network Services, users must subscribe to a Network Access Agreement which will be at an additional cost to the Information Services.

3. Lender Services

These services are only available to lenders and their third party agents. These services enable users to create and lodge electronic discharges using an e-DS1 which automatically updates the title register for that particular title. In order to access Lender Services users must subscribe to a Memorandum of Understanding for Portal.

Are the changes significant?

The ability of users to manage the administrative side of the Portal, for example, to add a new user within the firm themselves and dictate what services each user has access to, is beneficial, as users no longer need to spend time liaising with the Land Registry for administrative tasks. These tasks can be undertaken at a time convenient for the users, rather than during the opening times of the Land Registry.

The conveyancing process in England and Wales has been progressing towards e-conveyancing for a number of years and the availability of e-services is a significant step towards e-conveyancing becoming a common reality. There are likely to be teething problems as there always are with new methods and processes. Any tools that enable solicitors and conveyancers to speed-up a transaction are likely to be beneficial.

Please note that this information is provided for general knowledge only and therefore specific advice should be sought for individual cases.

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