This article explains the role of the National Land Information Service in facilitating online conveyancing.
The buyer’s conveyancing solicitor should make the necessary search applications as soon as his firm is hired to carry out the conveyancing process. Some government departments are notorious for their delay, hence the need to proceed without delay.
The National Land Information Service was formed to reduce delays and facilitate online conveyancing. The service became operational in 2001 and acts as a one-stop shop for conveyancers, thereby allowing electronic access to a wide range of information. The NLIS consists of a central hub that is assisted by three commercial channels, viz. Searchflow, Thames Water and GlobalX. The hub is managed by The Council for the National Land (and Property) Information Service, a nonprofit company. The NLIS has been consistently encouraging commercial organisations to become licensed commercial channels so that they can provide information from the official copies, priority searches and other information from the Land Registry.
The conveyancer can order for searches through one of these commercial channels, which then contacts the Hub, which in turn directs the search to the correct information provider. The results are then transmitted from the data provider to the Hub, and from the Hub it is passed on to the channel. The channel in turn provides the required information to the searcher. While this sounds complicated and time consuming, the entire process does not take more than two minutes, and with the least complication to the end user.
The NLIS allows all searches that a conveyancer may be required to make; all he has to do is to tick a few boxes on his screen. Such a process saves time and money. It is only a matter of time, when all searches can be provided through the electronic medium. However, such a process can be long drawn thanks to the slow progress of the local authorities in connecting to the NLIS.
Besides referring to the NLIS, a conveyancer can also refer to other commercial search providers who are now offering electronic land searches.
Photo courtesy: Infrogmation
