The new digital registration service being launched by HM Land Registry has been unveiled at a meeting of the Legal Software Suppliers Association (LSSA), ahead of its planned launch in October.
The new service will apply stricter automated checks to incoming applications and accept only valid and correct entries, with the aim of significantly reducing the volume of administrative requisitions.
In the year to September 2024, HMLR recorded 609,5000 avoidable requisitions, with 14,000 variations in name and 110,000 submissions with missing information. HMLR economists examined how much it costs conveyancers to rectify a mistake in a simple application to update the register, such as a straightforward transfer or remortgage, and calculated a sum of between £5 for a clerical error and £30 for issues that involve chasing third parties.
‘Multiplied across all firms, these ‘minor mistakes’ become hugely expensive, costing the industry anything between £3.2 million and £19.1 million every year’, HMLR said.
Speaking at the LSSA event, HMLR integration support manager James Ripping commented:
“Reducing errors and delays is at the heart of our digital transformation efforts. We’re excited to see the impact it will have on streamlining conveyancing and improving outcomes for all parties involved.”
The new service will also bring greater consistency across HMLR’s digital channels, with features including improved handling of attachments and a new API to support push notifications and future automation.
‘It’s encouraging to see HM Land Registry working so closely with our members’, said Kevin Horlock, CEO of the LSSA.
“This new service directly tackles issues that have affected legal software providers and their clients for years. We’re looking forward to supporting a successful launch.”
