Way back when we first started this blog, almost exactly a year ago, I wrote this post on what a real estate lawyer does. Today, I thought I would expand on the last point I haven’t already: what exactly is registration?
In Ontario, we have electronic registration through Teraview. In order to close a deal, both lawyers sign it electronically, and then the purchaser’s lawyer registers the deed. When that happens, it is sent electronically over to the Land Registry Office, where the registration is checked to ensure there are no errors and then filed. From that moment, if I want to find out who is the owner of a property, I can enter the address and look it up to see what is registered on title. Mortgages, easements, restrictions, etc. are all registered the same way.
