Disclaimer Common legal terms explained Introduction All privately owned land in New Zealand is subject to the Land Transfer Act 1952. This Act sets down the method of creating and terminating property rights in land, records title to land and gives a guarantee of title by the State. Registration is the official recording of all relevant dealings with the land and results in the issue of a new Certificate of Title or the reissue of an existing amended Certificate of Title to the land.
Instruments take effect according to the date and time of registration.
It is important each document is carefully examined before being lodged for registration. There is no longer any requirement for transfers and leases disposing of land over 4500m to be submitted to Department of Inland Revenue for assessment, or for land equal to or less than 4500m to be certified or stamped that it is exempt. Fees and Codes booklets are available and the abstract forms that must accompany all lodgements can be obtained from any LINZ Help Desk. Having completed these checks the document should be ready to lodge for registration. If the document is not in order for registration, it may be rejected or requisitioned.