How can I find out the details of land that I'm interested in buying?

This is now a quick and straightforward process under the Torrens title system of land ownership. You will need to conduct a search of the public register to find out the details of the particular land you are interested in.

You will usually need to know the land as described by its technical terms, which include its lot, registered plan, county, parish, land division or hundred. These terms obviously make no reference to a street addresses, although some online data resellers (who are licensed to provide access to the same underlying information as the official land titles register) will allow you to search by street addresses if you don't know this information. It is ultimately your choice whether to go to the land titles office in person or to search online and receive the same information in an electronic form.

Although this process doesn't require the assistance of a lawyer, matters can get complicated quickly when interpreting a title search that is encumbered (such as when a person has lodged a caveat, or has a mortgage over the property). If you are interested in land and you do not understand the title information that you are looking at, it pays to get legal advice to ensure your piece of mind.

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