201: Apr 2020

Important reminders and updates

From Monday 20 April the land registry office at 2 Lonsdale Street is operational but closed to the public. This is to limit exposure to and spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) among staff, customers and visitors.

The following changes to our services and new arrangements for instrument processing are set out below.

For conveyancers, lawyers and other Subscribers to an Electronic Lodgment Network (ELN)

Instruments that are currently eligible for submission in a paper format must be submitted electronically using PEXA. A generic residual document, ‘Record – Notice – Transfer of Land Act – Section 104’ is available in PEXA. For more information please see the item below.

For customers not represented by a conveyancer or lawyer (private customers)

Private customers undertaking conveyancing transactions during this time are strongly advised to consult a conveyancer or lawyer if the dealing is urgent or complex.

Otherwise, paper lodgments by private customers can be mailed to:

Victorian Land Registry Services
GPO Box 527
Melbourne VIC 3001
Australia

Private customers must provide a phone number on which they can be contacted to make payment and formalise the lodgment. For questions on how these new measures apply, please call 03 9102 0401.

All customers and stakeholders are encouraged to regularly check the Land Use Victoria (LUV) website for ‘Latest News’ and information on any changes to services during the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) situation.

New generic residual document ‘Record-Notice-Transfer of Land Act - Section 104’

Land Use Victoria, Secure Electronic Registry Services (SERV) and PEXA Ltd worked together to develop a new dealing type called ‘Generic Residual Document - Record-Notice - Transfer of Land Act- Section 104’ for use by subscribers for electronic delivery of instruments that are eligible to be lodged in paper with the land registry. The paper instruments will be included as attachments (in the form of a scanned PDF). The scanned PDF instruments in the workspace will be subject to ordinary lodgment and registration processes in the land registry.

The eligibility criteria for the generic residual document are detailed in Customer Information Bulletin 200, and customers are reminded of the following:

• A single folio of the Register (Vol 12198 Fol 325) is used to accept all lodgments for the generic residual document. In the PEXA workspace subscribers must only select this folio (Vol 12198 Fol 325). No other folio should be entered in the generic residual document workspace.

A step-by-step guide for lodging the generic residual document in PEXA can be found here.

• The Certificates of Title relevant to the paper instruments must be electronic Certificates of Title (eCTs) and must be nominated to the paper instrument(s).
• All lodging parties must be direct debit enabled. Please note payment is not made through PEXA and this direct debit is set up directly with LUV.  This is the only acceptable payment method for this transaction type.
• Attachments of poor quality will not be accepted.
• When the transaction is processed, the scanned PDF of the paper instruments will be assigned a new dealing number and customers will be emailed a Lodgment Summary Report (in the case of successful lodgment) or a Refusal Notice (if the lodgment is not accepted).

Searching a registered instrument lodged with the generic residual document

The generic residual document is used as a method to deliver scanned PDF paper instruments to Land Use Victoria.

The generic residual document will be assigned a dealing number when lodged and the scanned PDF paper instruments will be assigned new dealing numbers which are shown in the top right corner.

The generic residual document dealing number also appears as a diagonal, background watermark on the scanned PDF paper instruments.  This is to assist customers in reconciling the generic residual document with the scanned PDF paper instruments.

Customers are advised that, when making registration enquiries or searching for a scanned PDF instrument submitted using a generic residual document, they should use the dealing number on the top right corner of the scanned PDF instrument.

An example of an instrument is in the updated Frequently Asked Questions on the LUV website here.

Support

Any queries regarding the generic residual document or enabling direct debit payment should be directed to Land Registry Services Customer Call Centre on 9102 0401.

Please contact PEXA on 1300 084 515 if you have any questions on how to lodge a generic residual document.

PEXA webinar on the generic residual document ‘Record-Notice - Transfer of Land Act - Section 104’

A webinar on the new generic residual document is scheduled for Tuesday 28 April 2020. Details will be advised on the PEXA website here.

SPEAR Electronic Lodgment Network update

SPEAR lodgment is the preferred lodging method for all dealings eligible to be lodged in SPEAR.

Information about how to register to become a SPEAR ELN Subscriber is on the SPEAR website: https://www.spear.land.vic.gov.au/spear/pages/lodging-parties/about-lodging.shtml

If you lodge an infrequent number of SPEAR dealings, please consider using an existing SPEAR ELN Subscriber.  Listed subscribers can be found under the heading ’Lodging Party Organisations’ on the SPEAR website: https://www.spear.land.vic.gov.au/spear/spearOrganisations/List.do

The new generic residual document ‘Record-Notice-Transfer of Land Act – Section 104’ dealing is available for PEXA subscribers that are not subscribers to SPEAR, but turnaround times are longer. . For dealings available in the SPEAR website: https://www.spear.land.vic.gov.au/spear/pages/about/what-is-spear/spear-dealing-types.shtml

Temporary suspension of Subscriber Compliance Examinations

LUV and the Registrar recognise the impact the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation is having on businesses and the changes that have been required to methods of operation. The Registrar has suspended undertaking any Subscriber Compliance Examinations until further notice.

Subscribers must still comply with the Participation Rules during this time and instruments lodged electronically could still be the subject of a Subscriber Compliance Examination after the coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions are lifted.

Investigations into suspected or alleged cases of misconduct will continue as usual.

Page last updated: 09/01/24