E-conveyancing has its origins in a joint Law Commission/Land Registry report: “Land Registration for the twenty-first century, a conveyancing revolution”, which was published in 2001.
The report set out a vision in which:
- Users of the e-conveyancing network could transact with each other securely;
- Users could share information electronically;
- Errors and discrepancies would be identified and rectified at the earliest possible stage;
- Electronic deeds and documents would be signed with electronic signatures;
- Registration would happen much more quickly than in the paper world, so protecting the interests of landowners at an earlier stage.
In the years since the report’s publication, great advances have been made by many areas of the property industry to realise the vision. Land Registry has played its part by trialling groundbreaking ideas such as electronic signatures in 2005 and Chain Matrix, two years later. In keeping with its traditional role as a registration authority, Land Registry has also introduced new electronic registration services for a wide range of its customers.
The benefits of automation speak for themselves – fewer errors, quicker processing of work at a reduced cost and customers are now signing up for new services.
