Property ownership comes with its fair share of paperwork. If you want to own a property or a piece of land, you'll need a few legal documents. One document you need, in particular, is a copy of the title certificate.
In today's article, we'll show you how to apply for your certificate of title and where to acquire it.
What is a Certificate of Title?
A certificate of title is an official record that the state government or municipal issues. It contains crucial information about the property you've bought. But most importantly, it serves as proof that you own a property in Australia.
It's worth noting that if you're looking for paper certificates of titles, you'll soon find out that you can't. The Real Property Amendment (Certificates of Title) Act 2021 made it so that the Registrar General could abolish paper certs of titles. Now, title certificates are lodged electronically and are kept secure by the state or municipal land registry. What's more, you can't obtain the original certificate of title. Instead, you'll receive duplicate certificates of title.
What Does The Title Contain?
Your title certificate will always provide you with vital information, including the following details:
- Current ownership details, including the owner's full name
- Document numbers for notifications and encumbrances
- Volume and folio
- Caveats
- Survey plan numbers and types
You know that title certificates are forms of evidence that you can check to determine a property's current ownership. But they are also helpful for real estate agents, investors, and home buyers who need to conduct house title lookups. Additionally, title certificates also prove useful when you need to complete land registry forms and planning applications.
In Australia, you can conduct a title search, which is similar to a title certificate. States and land title registries can offer these title search facilities. When you conduct title searches, you can find information like property ownership changes, mortgages, property transactions, and new subdivisions. Best of all, here at Title Check, we have access to land registries!
What You Need to Know About the Full Title Guarantee
Having a full title guarantee means that the person selling a property has the right to sell it.
When beginning to transfer title deeds, the property's owner must make some assurances. Specifically, the owner must assure the buyer that their new certificate of title is free of claims. But, unfortunately, there can be instances where the certificate is not a full guarantee of ownership. The reason for this can boil down to certain factors, like incorrectly recorded information and unrecorded encumbrance and liens.
So, the best thing to do to avoid such inconveniences is to invest in title insurance. Title insurance can protect property sellers from any claims of false or unrecorded activity.
Where Can You Get Your Certificate of Title?
It's time to answer the ultimate question - where do you get your certificate of title? Each state's or territory's land registry holds onto certificates of titles. This means that you can buy a copy of your title certificate in two ways. If you choose the first way, you'll purchase your certificate of title from your land registry directly.
Alternatively, you can go to authorized online information brokers. Either way, you'll need to go through the application process to obtain your certificate of title.
How To Apply For Your Certificate of Title
Whether you're applying for a certificate of title WA or a certificate of title NSW, the application process doesn't change. In other words, the application process for a certificate of title remains the same no matter where you are in Australia. While that does make things more straightforward, it's important to bear in mind what we discussed earlier.
Remember that you can only get a digital duplicate of the original certificate/title search. To acquire that digital copy, you'll need to apply with land registries or brokers. Please note that only licensed providers can access the land registry's title search facilities. So, take your time as you search for one, and make sure to apply for your title certificate only with an authentic provider.
When you find the right broker, they'll charge you a fee to send you your digital copy. Of course, you should expect the fees to fluctuate depending on where you are in Australia. The bright side is that the fees in New South Wales, for instance, aren't drastically different from the fees you'd pay if you were in Perth. In other words, your location won't have a dramatic impact on your charges. So, the hardest part of your application is finding an authentic provider. And even that task is made simple with Title Check.
With Title Check, you can search for all of the vital details that relate to your property. You can also apply to get a copy of your certificate of title with us! Start searching today!
