200: Apr 2020

Changes to registration services

Land Use Victoria (LUV) is committed to continuing to serve our customers during the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. As a result, our operations will change in response to the current health advice put in place by the State and Federal Government.

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

We will continue to deliver our full suite of services despite these new measures. An outline of the new arrangements for transaction processing is provided below.

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

Subscribers to the ELN known as PEXA are now able to electronically submit transactions that are currently eligible for submission in a paper format. A generic residual document transaction has been developed for this purpose. This electronic lodging option will operate 24/7. For more information please read the item below, ‘New generic residual dealing type in PEXA’.

For customers not represented by a conveyancer or lawyer (Private Customers)

Private customers undertaking their transactions during this time are strongly advised to consult a lawyer or conveyancer 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

Please provide a phone number so you can be contacted to make payment and formalise the lodgment. If you have any questions on how these new measures apply to you, please call 03 9102 0401.

New generic residual dealing type in PEXA

LUV, Secure Electronic Registry Services (SERV) and PEXA have been working together to develop a new transaction type called Generic Residual ‘Record-Notice - Transfer of Land Act’ for use by subscribers for electronic delivery of paper transactions to the land registry’. The paper transactions will be included as attachments (in the form of a scanned PDF).

The scanned PDF transactions contained within the workspace will be subject to ordinary lodgment and registration processes within the land registry. Prior to uploading any scanned PDF transaction, a subscriber must ensure that all requirements from other agencies have been satisfied (eg; if an instrument is dutiable, duty must be dealt with prior to lodgment). The certifying subscribers must retain all the original documents and supporting evidence that may later be subject to compliance examination by the Registrar.

A single generic folio (Vol 12198 Fol 325) is being used to accept all lodgments for this transaction type.

The fee payment for the instruments delivered will be determined by land registry staff. Payment must be made using the Direct Debit account of the lodging party. This account can be applied for at SERV and must be in place before a subscriber commences using the new transaction.

To lodge this transaction type, you must meet the eligibility criteria outlined below.

Eligibility Criteria

• Be a subscriber to PEXA with an active PEXA enabled LUV customer code.
• Have a LUV customer code (same code as above) which is Direct Debit enabled and have selected ‘Direct Debit’ as the payment option.
• Have an attached scanned transaction that is eligible for paper-based lodgment [For example, if the attachment contains a dealing that could be normally lodged through PEXA (for example a mortgage or a transfer without a valid exception), then it would not be considered as a dealing valid to be lodged through this process]. Note: Memorandum of Common Provisions and paper based administrative notices can be accepted through this process.
• To produce a readable copy, the quality of attached documents is critical. Dealings or instruments of poor quality will not be accepted.
• Have attached a "Request to accept paper lodgment" form for any mandated Instruments that must otherwise be lodged electronically using an Electronic Lodgment Network (ELN).
• Have attached a "Lodging Summary Form" (PDF, 931.7 KB). It is important to complete this form to confirm lodgment order, reconcile fees and include a contact email address for correspondence.
• The applicant in the generic dealing must be a transacting party of the attached paper transactions represented by the lodging subscriber.
• The controlling party of the certificate of title must choose to receive an electronic certificate of title

If the dealing does not meet the above criteria, then it will be refused lodgment and the subscriber will receive a notice setting out the reason for refusal.

A step by step guide for lodging in PEXA can be found here. A FAQ guide has also been created and can be found on the LUV website found here.

If the eligibility criteria are met, the attached images will be assessed on the relevant lodging criteria for the intended transaction/dealing, had it been submitted in paper form. This includes the requirement for any certificate of title to be nominated prior to lodgement.  Note: The certificate of title to be nominated is the one related to the actual folio being transacted.  DO NOT attempt to nominate the certificate of title for Vol 12198 Fol 325.

Certificates of titles can be nominated as follows:

• Electronic certificate of title: Nominated in PEXA to a paper lodgment.
• Paper certificates of title: Convert the paper certificate of title to an electronic certificate of title by completing the form available on our forms page and emailing it to advice.enquiries@victorianlrs.com.au. Once the conversion is complete nominate in PEXA the electronic certificates of title to a paper lodgment.

Once the transaction is processed, customers will be provided by email with a Lodgment Summary Report (in the case of successful lodgment) or a Refusal Notice (if the lodgment is not accepted).

The lodged transaction will be assigned a new dealing number.

Support

Any queries regarding this new dealing type or enabling direct debit payment to your customer code should be directed to Land Registry Services customer call centre on 03 9102 0401.

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

SPEAR Electronic Lodgment Network Update

The SPEAR Electronic Lodgment Network (ELN) enables electronic lodgment of applications under the Subdivision Act 1988 and the Transfer of Land Act 1958. Conveyancers and lawyers are encouraged to register to become SPEAR ELN Subscribers, in line with LUV’s 100% digital lodgment strategy.

The benefits to lodging parties using the SPEAR ELN include:

• the ability to electronically complete, validate and lodge application forms
• no need to attend Land Use Victoria (LUV) in person to lodge applications
• improved access to application documents and details of LUV requisitions
• instant notification of new title allocations upon registration.

LUV does not charge lodging parties to join or use SPEAR; however, lodging parties will need to purchase at least one digital certificate from Symantec to be able to digitally sign documents in SPEAR. User training and support is provided free-of-charge by the SPEAR Service Desk.

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 available 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 and do not wish to become a SPEAR ELN subscriber, 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 dealing is available for PEXA subscribers that are not subscribers to SPEAR, however this method will have longer turnaround timeframes. For dealings available in SPEAR website (https://www.spear.land.vic.gov.au/spear/pages/about/what-is-spear/spear-dealing-types.shtml)

Update to the issuing of paper certificate of titles

LUV is putting in place arrangements to reduce the number of paper certificate of titles (pCTs) printed and to support customers and staff working from home in response to the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) situation.

Accordingly, subscribers in PEXA will not have any option in the issuing instructions within a workspace. This change will come into effect 20 April 2020.  All Subscribers will be required to validate the issuing instructions and retain the default eCT format.  Further details of this change will be provided on the Electronic Lodgment webpages.

Please direct any queries regarding this change to Land Registry Services customer call centre on 03 9102 0401.

Victorian Water Register – lodging documents

For customers lodging documents in the Victorian Water Register, lodgments can be mailed to:

Victorian Land Registry Services
GPO Box 527
Melbourne VIC 3001
Australia

Please provide a contact phone number at which you can be contacted to make payment and formalise the lodgment. If you have any questions on how these new measures apply to you, please email lvwater.Register@delwp.vic.gov.au

Advice to all subscribers and LUV customers

Important Updates on Land Registry Services

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

Registrar’s announcements and advice to assist customers will continue to be provided in Customer Information Bulletins.

The following announcements have been issued by the Registrar and Victorian Land Registry Services

Land Use Victoria (LUV) customers should note the following additional information:

• Key messages to customers including those found in the Customer Information Bulletins will be published on its website and LUV pages on the DELWP website
• It is expected that there will be minimum impact to services as customers will be able to continue to lodge using the Electronic Lodgment Networks (ELNs), including SPEAR and conduct online searches through LANDATA
• Secure Electronic Registry Services (SERV) has provided further advice to customers in its News Update dated 26 March 2020 and published at (https://www.victorianlrs.com.au/new-updates).