Business e-services special edition - Land Registry
Business e-services special edition - Land Registry
Business e-services special edition - Land Registry
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<strong>Land</strong> <strong>Registry</strong><br />
<strong>Business</strong> e-<strong>services</strong><br />
August 2011<br />
1
Contents<br />
Key benefits 3<br />
Latest enhancements:<br />
official copies service 4<br />
Network Services 5<br />
Coming soon:<br />
e-document registration<br />
service 6<br />
Information Services 7<br />
E-<strong>services</strong> training 8<br />
Free reporting tools 9<br />
“The portal gives<br />
us an edge over our<br />
competition.”<br />
Adam Fletcher<br />
Partner, Head of <strong>Business</strong><br />
Development, Ridley & Hall LLP<br />
Before I discovered the <strong>Land</strong><br />
<strong>Registry</strong> portal, I used a thirdparty<br />
organisation to obtain land<br />
registration information. I was<br />
introduced to the portal shortly<br />
before I joined Ridley & Hall LLP<br />
in 2008. The portal allowed me to<br />
access the registration information<br />
I needed faster, more efficiently,<br />
and cheaper than the third-party<br />
organisation. I also knew I was<br />
receiving the information directly<br />
from the source, removing any<br />
possibility of errors.<br />
Since experiencing the portal, I<br />
have never looked back. When<br />
I joined Ridley & Hall LLP, I<br />
advocated the power of the <strong>Land</strong><br />
<strong>Registry</strong> portal. Within a few<br />
hours’ use, my new colleagues<br />
could see the clear benefits of the<br />
portal and we signed up.<br />
The speed and cost benefits of<br />
the portal are delivered straight to<br />
our clients. The portal allows us to<br />
give our clients more competitive<br />
quotes as we can buy registration<br />
information at cost value. It also<br />
allows us to be confident with<br />
the swift turnaround times that<br />
we offer our clients. We feature<br />
the portal in presentations to<br />
potential clients as we feel it gives<br />
us an edge over our competition.<br />
I have been consulted on the<br />
development of the <strong>Land</strong> <strong>Registry</strong><br />
portal. <strong>Land</strong> <strong>Registry</strong> listened to<br />
me and other customers, and it<br />
has updated the portal to give<br />
customers what they asked for<br />
– efficient information <strong>services</strong><br />
and workflows that are tailored to<br />
meet the needs of my sector.<br />
This magazine is also available<br />
in HTML format. It can be made<br />
available in alternative formats<br />
on request. If you require an<br />
alternative format, please contact<br />
Customer Support by email or on<br />
0844 892 1111.<br />
<strong>Business</strong> e-<strong>services</strong> is a <strong>special</strong><br />
issue of <strong>Land</strong>net, <strong>Land</strong> <strong>Registry</strong>’s<br />
customer magazine. You can<br />
read past issues of <strong>Land</strong>net in our<br />
online archive.<br />
To receive a bulletin every time<br />
<strong>Land</strong>net is published, please send<br />
your name, job title and email<br />
address to the Editor, Gavin Curry,<br />
at gavin.curry@landregistry.gsi.<br />
gov.uk<br />
Designed by Peter Sim; published<br />
by <strong>Land</strong> <strong>Registry</strong>, Head Office, Trafalgar House,<br />
1 Bedford Park, Croydon CR0 2AQ<br />
© Crown copyright 2011 <strong>Land</strong> <strong>Registry</strong><br />
2
<strong>Business</strong> e-<strong>services</strong><br />
Key benefits of<br />
<strong>Business</strong> e-<strong>services</strong><br />
— Speed, certainty and<br />
accuracy.<br />
— No more postal delays.<br />
— Savings in time, money<br />
and resources.<br />
— Reduced environmental<br />
impact.<br />
— An electronic audit<br />
trail that helps prevent<br />
fraud.<br />
Our <strong>Business</strong> e-<strong>services</strong> have<br />
gone from strength to strength<br />
since their launch in 2008.<br />
There are now 12,991<br />
organisations and 189,812<br />
registered users with access<br />
to the <strong>services</strong> via the <strong>Land</strong><br />
<strong>Registry</strong> portal.<br />
An important element of our<br />
<strong>Business</strong> e-<strong>services</strong>’ success<br />
is listening to you. A number<br />
of key enhancements have<br />
been made as a direct result of<br />
customer feedback, including the<br />
electronic delivery of PDF files<br />
when transactions are completed<br />
and extending their availability<br />
to 15 days.<br />
This collaborative style of<br />
working has resulted in high<br />
levels of customer satisfaction.<br />
In our recent customer survey,<br />
95 per cent of respondents<br />
rated the <strong>Land</strong> <strong>Registry</strong> portal<br />
as good, very good or excellent,<br />
with 35 per cent describing it as<br />
excellent.<br />
We will continue to work closely<br />
with you to make further<br />
improvements. For example,<br />
we recently held workshops<br />
with customers to look at<br />
proposed enhancements to<br />
official copy applications. The<br />
participants were able to directly<br />
influence the look and feel of the<br />
enhancements.<br />
We will be consulting widely<br />
with customers over the next<br />
12 months. If you have any<br />
ideas, comments or suggestions<br />
for <strong>Business</strong> e-<strong>services</strong><br />
enhancements, please contact<br />
Customer Support by email or on<br />
0844 892 1111.<br />
3
Monday 5 September: we’re improving<br />
our official copies service<br />
Larger file sizes<br />
available to download<br />
More information on which<br />
documents are available<br />
Fewer clicks to make an<br />
order<br />
More than 160,000 <strong>Business</strong><br />
e-<strong>services</strong> users download official<br />
copies, reflecting your need for<br />
immediate electronic delivery of<br />
vital documents.<br />
We’re now improving the service.<br />
From Monday 5 September you’ll<br />
be able to download documents<br />
scanned at a size larger than A3<br />
– other than title plans – and PDF<br />
files of up to 10 megabytes.<br />
The ordering process has been<br />
simplified and the information we<br />
provide has been enhanced.<br />
——<br />
The request screen will tell you<br />
whether the documents you<br />
want are available for electronic<br />
download and whether they<br />
can be sent immediately.<br />
——<br />
You’ll be able to order registers<br />
and title plans without a list of<br />
the other documents available<br />
appearing.<br />
——<br />
The relevant register entry<br />
number will appear against<br />
each document displayed.<br />
——<br />
The option to select postal<br />
delivery has been phased out,<br />
as post is chosen in less than<br />
1 per cent of electronically<br />
submitted requests.<br />
The changes have been<br />
extensively researched and tested.<br />
Forty customers ranging from high<br />
to low-volume users were asked<br />
how we could improve the service.<br />
They marked the existing service<br />
at 8 out of 10, a rating we hope will<br />
rise after 5 September.<br />
We also invited customers to<br />
help develop the new features,<br />
from viewing mock-up screens<br />
to hands-on testing. Annette<br />
Dobbins of Wragge & Co and Sarah<br />
Adams and Allison Livingstone of<br />
Mills & Reeve visited our Coventry<br />
Office to give the enhancements<br />
a thorough examination before<br />
declaring themselves happy with<br />
the changes.<br />
“It’s a lot nicer and easier to use,”<br />
said Sarah, with the trio agreeing<br />
that the number of screens, and<br />
the amount of information they<br />
carried, made the official copies<br />
process more easily navigable.<br />
A means of downloading large<br />
format title plans is currently being<br />
explored.<br />
<strong>Land</strong> <strong>Registry</strong> Product Manager<br />
Angela Jackson said more<br />
improvements were on their<br />
way, such as providing an opt-in<br />
notification service for customers<br />
who’d like to be informed when<br />
documents are made available for<br />
download.<br />
“Research and development for<br />
an opt-in notification service is<br />
progressing for launch next year,”<br />
said Angela.<br />
Operational Manager Natalia<br />
Guandin said customers had<br />
also been telling us that some<br />
important documents, such as<br />
those that facilitate enquiries<br />
before contract, were not always<br />
available to download.<br />
“To address this customer need<br />
additional solutions, such as<br />
a scan-on-demand service for<br />
customers, are being explored,”<br />
said Natalia.<br />
The changes launched on 5<br />
September will be evaluated with<br />
customers in October.<br />
4
Network Services<br />
Many of our customers are taking<br />
a closer look at the range of<br />
applications available through<br />
Network Services, with 2,600<br />
organisations now able to access<br />
them.<br />
Customers tell us they find the<br />
<strong>services</strong> fast, easy to use and<br />
straightforward to audit.<br />
Network Services offer a range of<br />
electronic options for customers,<br />
such as the automated, electronic<br />
lodgement of applications to<br />
change proprietors’ names (by<br />
marriage/deed poll/registration of<br />
civil partnership) and to remove<br />
the name of a deceased joint<br />
proprietor from the register. Users<br />
can certify these changes without<br />
sending certificates, increasing the<br />
speed that the register is updated.<br />
Network Services offer the fastest<br />
possible way to place, cancel and<br />
withdraw restrictions and to enter,<br />
remove and cancel unilateral<br />
notices.<br />
Network Services allow the<br />
electronic lodgement of:<br />
——<br />
e-AN1: electronic application<br />
to enter an agreed notice<br />
——<br />
e-CCD: electronic application<br />
to cancel a caution against<br />
dealing<br />
——<br />
e-CN1: application to cancel<br />
a notice (other than unilateral<br />
notice)<br />
——<br />
e-COA: application for change<br />
of address<br />
——<br />
e-CON: application for<br />
registration of change of<br />
name by marriage/deed<br />
poll/registration of civil<br />
partnership*<br />
——<br />
e-CPD: application for change<br />
of property description<br />
——<br />
e-CSF: electronic charge in<br />
standard form<br />
——<br />
e-CSF: find document<br />
——<br />
e-CST: statutory charge<br />
(applies to Legal Services<br />
Commission applications<br />
only)*<br />
——<br />
e-DJP: application to remove<br />
from the register the name of a<br />
deceased joint proprietor*<br />
— e-HR1: application for registration<br />
of a notice of home rights<br />
——<br />
e-HR4: application to cancel an<br />
existing HR notice<br />
——<br />
e-RX1: electronic application to<br />
enter a restriction<br />
——<br />
e-RX3: electronic application<br />
to cancel a restriction<br />
——<br />
e-RX4: electronic application to<br />
withdraw a restriction<br />
——<br />
e-UN1: electronic application<br />
to enter a unilateral notice<br />
——<br />
e-UN2: electronic application<br />
for the removal of a unilateral<br />
notice<br />
——<br />
e-UN4: electronic application<br />
for the cancellation of a<br />
unilateral notice<br />
——<br />
e-WCT: electronic application<br />
to withdraw a caution.<br />
*Automated registration.<br />
Certain limitations apply –<br />
please see the explanation in<br />
Notice 13.<br />
Three of the <strong>services</strong> are fully<br />
automated and the others are<br />
processed by <strong>Land</strong> <strong>Registry</strong><br />
staff. If you work with one of<br />
our customer teams, your<br />
applications will be sent direct to<br />
your team.<br />
Completed applications are<br />
returned electronically to the user’s<br />
PDF download folder, where they<br />
can be accessed for 15 days.<br />
To find out more about Network<br />
Services or apply to add them to<br />
your existing <strong>Business</strong> e-<strong>services</strong>,<br />
please contact Customer Support<br />
at customersupport@landregistry.<br />
gsi.gov.uk or on on 0844 892<br />
1111.<br />
5
Coming soon: a new e-document<br />
registration service<br />
As part of our commitment to<br />
improving our <strong>services</strong>, we are<br />
developing a new e-document<br />
registration service in response to<br />
customer feedback.<br />
A successful ‘proof of concept’ period<br />
ended in April and this autumn a<br />
prototype will be trialled with a range<br />
of selected customers. The findings<br />
will inform the pilot of the system.<br />
During this time selected <strong>Land</strong><br />
<strong>Registry</strong> customer teams will also trial<br />
the changes required to our internal<br />
processes. With these checks and<br />
measures in place we plan to roll out<br />
an easy-to-use, robust and secure<br />
service.<br />
——<br />
The service will build on the<br />
e-lodgement and e-delivery<br />
application types already<br />
available.<br />
——<br />
It will allow you to securely lodge<br />
a suite of applications that are<br />
currently submitted through<br />
paper–based systems.<br />
——<br />
The service will allow substantive<br />
registration applications and<br />
transaction types (form AP1<br />
and scanned versions of<br />
accompanying documents) to<br />
be submitted by a signed-up<br />
conveyancer organisation with<br />
legally qualified supervision,<br />
via a choice of secure electronic<br />
channels.<br />
——<br />
Applications to register transfers<br />
and/or charges affecting the<br />
whole of a registered title will be<br />
included in the pilot.<br />
How will the service be<br />
made available?<br />
It will be available via the <strong>Land</strong><br />
<strong>Registry</strong> portal and <strong>Business</strong><br />
Gateway.<br />
When will the service be<br />
available?<br />
The planned launch date is early<br />
2012.<br />
How will I know when<br />
this service becomes<br />
available?<br />
You will be notified when this<br />
service becomes available.<br />
6
Information Services<br />
<strong>Business</strong> e-<strong>services</strong> users make<br />
an average of 940,000 Information<br />
Services applications a month.<br />
Official copies of registers and<br />
title plans are top of the electronic<br />
delivery charts with 96.5 per cent<br />
of these requests now delivered<br />
electronically.<br />
Listening to you and incorporating<br />
your feedback has also seen the<br />
use of search of the index map<br />
(SIM) and search of part increase<br />
steadily.<br />
Early feedback told us you would<br />
like to be able to upload plans to<br />
support SIM and search of part<br />
applications, so in October 2009<br />
we added the ability to upload<br />
plans up to a file size of 500KB.<br />
This proved so popular that in April<br />
2010 we increased the file size of<br />
plan attachments to 1MB.<br />
Prior to the launch of the attached<br />
plan feature, 28.3 per cent of SIMs<br />
were delivered through e-channels.<br />
The number of SIM applications<br />
lodged through the portal overtook<br />
those lodged in paper format for<br />
the first time in December 2010. In<br />
February this year portal search of<br />
part applications did the same.<br />
Of the 345,930 SIM applications<br />
we received in the first quarter<br />
of this year, 63.5 per cent were<br />
submitted electronically. The trend<br />
has continued through the year.<br />
As one customer puts it: “It<br />
is in essence a very simple,<br />
comparatively low cost service that<br />
generally works very efficiently.”<br />
Official search of part applications<br />
(April to June 2011)<br />
Search of the index map applications: % e-delivered<br />
June 2011<br />
March 2010<br />
Search of the index map<br />
applications (April to June 2011)<br />
Paper 45% Paper 43%<br />
Electronic 55% Electronic 57%<br />
October 2009<br />
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%<br />
7
Learn how to use<br />
our e-<strong>services</strong><br />
E-<strong>services</strong> users can find a wealth of training material on<br />
our website.<br />
The Education and training pages offer more than 40<br />
modules.<br />
They cover Network Services, Information Services, <strong>Land</strong><br />
Charges Services, Lender Services and administrative<br />
tasks associated with <strong>Business</strong> e-<strong>services</strong> such as<br />
logging in, creating users and viewing accounts.<br />
First-time visitors to the pages can find a guide on how<br />
to use the modules.<br />
8
Keeping track<br />
You can keep track of how your organisation uses our <strong>Business</strong><br />
e-<strong>services</strong> by taking advantage of our free online reporting tools,<br />
aiding supervision and business analysis. Access depends on your<br />
role type.<br />
Administrator report<br />
(available within Administrative Services signpost)<br />
Daily reports are available for 31 calendar days, showing actions taken on certain<br />
accounts by users with a Responsible Person, Deputy Responsible Person,<br />
<strong>Business</strong> Unit Administrator or <strong>Land</strong> <strong>Registry</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Administrator role.<br />
Variable direct debit online statements<br />
(available within Administrative Services signpost)<br />
View online variable direct debit statements for up to three months. The<br />
statements include transaction types and references. User IDs of the users<br />
submitting the transactions are also displayed for the majority of transaction<br />
types.<br />
Services requested<br />
(available within General Facilities signpost)<br />
View <strong>Business</strong> e-<strong>services</strong> transactions submitted in the last seven days.<br />
Services requested reports include date and time of submission of transaction,<br />
transaction type, reference and user name of the person submitting the<br />
transaction. The expected fee for each transaction submitted, to be included in<br />
a later variable direct debit (VDD) notification and online VDD statement, is also<br />
displayed where this fee is known at the time of submission of the request.<br />
Search and view accounts<br />
(available within Administrative Services signpost)<br />
Search and view details of <strong>Business</strong> e-<strong>services</strong> authorised users and other<br />
account roles allocated within your business.<br />
Responsible<br />
Person role<br />
Deputy<br />
Responsible<br />
Person role<br />
<strong>Business</strong> Unit<br />
Administrator<br />
role<br />
Authorised<br />
User role<br />
Financial<br />
Administrator<br />
role<br />
9