By Camille Reid, VP Operations
As published in The Scrivener, Winter 2023 Edition.
The Land Title and Survey Authority of BC (LTSA) receives hundreds of thousands of land title applications each year, ranging from simple applications to complex title
registrations. BC Notaries and other legal professionals do a substantial amount of preparation to submit applications to LTSA. We want to make your life easier while maintaining the integrity and security of the land title register.
To that end, we have introduced behind-the-scenes changes to ensure land title applications are processed efficiently and accurately. In addition, we provide customers with the knowledge, tools, and workflows that make the submission process as seamless as possible.
Over the past few years, concentrated efforts have been made to increase electronic filing, reduce defects, and advance automation gains. Those efforts were made to ensure our customers are able to file applications quickly and accurately.
We want to make your life easier while maintaining the integrity and security of the land title register.
Online Services for Public Applications
More than 95 per cent of land title applications are submitted electronically, primarily by legal professionals. There was work to be done, however, to enable our “general public” customer to file online submissions for four of the most common application types. Applications, previously available to the public as a PDF, that can now be completed using web-based forms include:
- Change of Mailing Address on Title,
- Change of Name on Title, and
- Claim of Builders Lien.
As with web-filing forms used by the legal profession, online forms minimize data entry errors, and data accuracy can be checked prior to submission. As a result, online submissions are more accurate and can be processed faster.
In early 2024, LTSA will introduce an online form for property owners to complete for Transmission to Surviving Joint Tenant. Particularly complex, the application also includes Property Transfer Tax and Land Owner Transparency Registry forms.
Reduced Defect Rates
For legal professionals, receiving a defect notice can take a lot of time and energy to manage and resolve. LTSA recognizes receiving a defect notice can be a frustrating experience. Our goal is to ensure our customers have access to resources to help them submit accurate applications for timely registration.
Our teams recently completed a significant review of defect tracking data and defect notices, with the aim of improving the clarity and consistency of information in defect notices. That work helped ensure defect notices sent to customers more clearly outline the reason for the defect, helping customers address the issue in a timely manner.
Each defect notice clearly identifies the three Rs:
- Reason for the defect,
- Requirement to resolve the issue, and
- Reference to legislation or practice requirements.
Equipped with that knowledge, defect notices can be dealt with efficiently. As always, customer support remains available for any follow-up questions.
Through our data analysis, we also uncovered that between 20 to 25 per cent of all defect notices are not actioned or resolved by the applicant within the 30 days required by section 308 of the Land Title Act. We appeal to customers; Help us maintain the integrity and accuracy of the land title register by addressing defects promptly.
A significant amount of attention was also directed to analysing the most common defects and ways to reduce them through the delivery of educational webinars and introduction of various system enhancements. We responded to customer feedback that indicated a desire to know what examiners look for when reviewing packages as well as the top defect reasons and how to avoid them. That precipitated the development of a series of policy and practice webinars that were well attended and highly rated. Resource materials and recordings are posted online at ltsa.ca for ease of reference.
System enhancements such as increased validation warnings and errors on web-based filing forms establish helpful guardrails that highlight potential issues throughout the submission process, rather than at the end. Increased character-limit and drop-down menu options avoid unnecessary attachments that route the submission to manual examination. The ability to copy-and-paste data or restore accidentally deleted documents is a welcome addition to system functionality.
Supporting customers to submit registrable packages is vital. Thanks to the support and effort of our customers, there are fewer defects to correct and re-submit.
Advancing Automation
Automation refers to the hundreds of decision-making rules used for automated examination. The rules determine if an application is registerable. For example, do the names match the names on title? Are there two signatures? Binary in nature, examination rules are consistently applied; either the application follows the rules or it doesn’t. Applications filled out correctly that pass all the rules are registered after the 48-hour hold period.
By providing drop-down options with standardized language and increasing character-length in certain fields, unnecessary attachments that lead to manual examination are avoided. By heeding and addressing error and warning messages, customers are made aware of potential issues before submission.
LTSA’s pursuit of operational excellence has resulted in a better customer experience. LTSA’s 2023 Customer Relationship Health Survey results indicated that 79 per cent of respondents rated their experience with LTSA as “excellent” or “very good.” By continuing to listen to customers, we ensure our product and service improvements closely align with customer needs.
By leveraging innovation and prioritizing customer feedback, LTSA builds resilient systems that contribute to a real property market that is trusted and secure. With advanced automation gains, fewer defects, and increased web-based filing submissions, customers are experiencing improved turnaround times, consistency in examination, and a deeper understanding of the vital part they play in contributing to a reliable land-related system that supports the economy in the public interest.