Making conveyancing easier
As part of this modernisation, LINZ is making it easier and faster for conveyancing professionals and councils to action a Notice of Change of Ownership (NoC).
This is a legal process that can now be initiated in Landonline when any change of ownership to a property is registered via a land title transaction.
This typically happens when an ‘instrument’ is registered against a Record of Title for a property. Examples of change of ownership instruments are:
- transfer a property from the current owners to new owners
- transmission – when an estate is acquired in law (e.g. upon the death of the owner)
- change or correction of name.
How we’re doing it
We’re automating the Change of Ownership notification process.
When someone changes ownership of a title, their conveyancing professional enters the additional rating valuation information for the instrument they’re actioning in Landonline’s ‘Record of Title’.
The conveyancing professional can then select the ‘Notice of Change’ option to also inform the local council of the change of ownership.
This automatically pre-populates a form – for the council’s rating database – which, includes:
- council name
- valuation reference
- address of the property
- record of title details
- existing owners
- new owners
- solicitors acting.
Conveyancing professionals then confirm the transaction type, eg ‘sale’.
When the form is completed, the vendor’s conveyancing professional selects the ‘Ready to Send’ button, which prepares the NoC to sit behind the land title instrument pending registration.
When the land title instrument is registered, the NoC is sent overnight to the relevant council so they can update their rating information databases.
This helps to ensure the new owner receives all future rating notices for that property.
The conveyancing professional also receives confirmation, including a copy of the NoC.
Benefits
NoC is an automated process co-designed by councils for councils.
It has significant benefits for councils and conveyancing professionals, including:
- time savings from faster processing and efficiencies due to less re-work.
- less duplication as the service is automated.
- improved data accuracy as information is from a trusted source.
- councils receive the legal names of the new owners that matches the Record of Title details.
Working with councils
LINZ has onboarded most of the 67 councils in New Zealand to ensure NoC can be used across Aotearoa.
To onboard, councils need to agree to provide DVR (District Valuation Role) data to LINZ, who the loads the data into Landonline and, together, they agree a ‘go live’ date.
Upon ‘go live’ conveyancing professionals can use the NoC button for that council’s jurisdiction.
Conveyancing professionals should use the automated NoC service for subscribed councils.
Next steps for NoC
- Finish onboarding councils in New Zealand.
- Encourage conveyancing professionals to use NoC, if it’s available.
- Continually enhance the NoC product based on customer feedback. This includes improving data flows between LINZ, individual councils and conveyancing professionals.
Find out more
- Visit our Landonline NoC page
- Find out more about Landonline by emailing modernisinglandonline@linz.govt.nz
Download factsheet
This information is also available as a printable factsheet, below.