A message was circulated to all Real Estate industry members today regarding Land titles. In the past we have had brutal delays of 2 – 4 weeks for transfers. So this comes as welcome news for lawyers and the Real Estate industry alike. They asked me to share it with my clients so I’m sharing it with everybody.
Message from Land Titles Office
The Real Estate Council of Alberta has received the following communication from the Executive Director of Alberta Land Titles and Personal Property Registry. RECA is providing this information, below, as a courtesy to its industry members who use the Land Titles Office on a regular basis, and in turn, we hope industry members will share this information with their clients.
"Alberta’s red hot real estate market has been keeping you busy with clients, and it’s brought a flood of property title registrations to Alberta’s Land Titles Office. Since 2001, the number of documents submitted to the office has increased by 57 per cent. This volume is unprecedented. As a result, the turnaround time for processing property title registrations hit an all-time high of 26 days in January.
We’ve been working hard to change that – and I am pleased to announce that we have reduced our wait times to approximately seven days. Here are some improvements we’ve been making:
- More staff. In 2006 we hired 15 new employees. We’ve recently hired 15 more. After a six-month training period, we will have more qualified examiners to serve you.
- More hours. Examiners are working staggered shifts and a large amount of overtime. Fifteen per cent of all registrations are completed after office hours.
- Improved processes. Support staff have taken over most administrative duties, leaving examiners more time to focus on documents. We’ve also used technology to streamline some processes. And we’ve provided examiners with tools they need to work more efficiently.
- More client access. Clients can go online to view the Land Titles Procedures Manual for assistance in filling out documents and to access commonly used forms. We’re also providing real time online access to titles, documents and plans, enabling you to see how long your wait time might be.
- Reduced rejection rates. Thanks to cooperation of stakeholders, the Land Titles Office continues to reduce the number of documents rejected because of errors.
It’s going to be a busy summer. Even as volumes go up, Land Titles will continue working to serve you better. Thank you for your continued cooperation and patience."
Better late than never I guess 
