Last year, as part of our commitment to taking PurView to the next level, we introduced Parcel Registers to the platform. Using Parcel Registers as part of your standard transaction due diligence empowers you to better understand property specifics and offers you peace of mind with more information about your deals to ensure they will close. If you aren’t using Parcel Registers, you may want to consider using this tool that tells you a lot about a property’s financial health and takes your property knowledge to the next level.
Let’s dig a bit deeper into what a Parcel Register is and how it can benefit you and your business.
What is a Parcel Register?
A Parcel Register is an official product of the Ontario government pursuant to provincial land registration statutes. Delivered as an electronic report, it presents the property’s legal description, the PIN (Property Identification Number) and the registered owner(s) of the property – including the percentage and type of ownership. It details the history of ownership, along with the registration and discharges of any mortgages, liens or other types of encumbrances that have occurred since the property was brought into the automated land registration system. Every registered document appearing on the Parcel Register has a corresponding registration number. If you want to dig a little deeper you can use the registration number to request the corresponding instrument and view an image of the document that was registered.
Many people use the terms Parcel Register and Title Search interchangeably, but in Ontario a Parcel Register is one element of a comprehensive Title Search which could include the consideration of additional on and off title items.
Mortgage Brokers and Lenders can now order these records directly through the PurView platform, which enables you to receive a real-time, up-to-date report for a property and the provincial ownership record. The information included in a Parcel Register paired with a PurView report enables you to validate who owns the home, what the value was the last time it was transferred, the current charges on title paired with an Automated Valuation Model (AVM). This information ultimately allows you to gain insight into the complete history of the property since the records were automated or the PIN was created.
The benefits of Parcel Registers
The information provided in a Parcel Register can help both Mortgage Brokers and Lenders gain insight into a property. Parcel Registers are very useful when it comes to strengthening due diligence practices because with one simple search you get a lot of additional insights about a subject property. The report can help you identify encumbrances on title that may affect land use or equity early in the client engagement. Looking at the legal homeowners may reveal individuals on title that weren’t previously disclosed to you. Digging into the dates, parties to and amounts of transfers and mortgage registrations can help you identify any undischarged mortgages that may delay a closing.
Purchasing a Parcel Register through PurView
Mortgage Brokers and Lenders can order Parcel Registers for Ontario properties through PurView directly to supplement their due diligence efforts. Upon ordering, the Parcel Register will be available for download in your browser and will also be delivered to you via email as a PDF.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 1.855.787.8439 or via email at purview@teranet.ca.
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