“Property Alert” service of the Land Registry

To many people, buying a property is probably the most important investment in life. To help flat owners safeguard their property interests, the Land Registry (LR) has recently launched the “Property Alert” service. This enhanced e-Alert Service provides a simple way to let property owners stay vigilant of what is happening to their properties. Today, I have invited the Land Registrar, Ms Doris CHEUNG Mei-chu, to give us a brief introduction to this service.

An enhanced e-Alert Service to better safeguard property interests

Property fraud cases happen from time to time. Fraudsters may pose as property owners and apply for mortgage loans from loan companies using forged title deeds, they may also impersonate as owners to put properties on sale at estate agencies and vanish without a trace after receiving deposits from buyers.

To help property owners safeguard their property interests, the LR has launched the e-Alert service way back in July 2015. By subscribing to the service, property owners will receive an email alert from the LR when instruments affecting their properties are lodged to the LR for registration, and when registration of such instruments have been completed. It facilitates property owners to detect as soon as possible any unexpected or suspicious instruments delivered for registration against their properties so that they can take prompt follow-up actions.

“Property Alert”: An enhanced tailor-made service

The e-Alert service was recently renamed as “Property Alert” to highlight the nature and functions of this enhanced service tailor-made to the needs of property owners, including the brand new and even more convenient option of “One-off Subscription”, and the simplified service subscription procedures. Besides the existing arrangement of submitting applications in person at any one of the LR offices, property owners may now simply download the application form from the LR website and submit the completed form to the LR by post or courier service, obviating the need to visit LR offices. The Land Registrar, Ms Doris CHEUNG, even starred in a short film with her colleagues to explain the benefits of the “Property Alert” service.

One-off subscription: Valid until change of property ownership

In the short film, Ms Doris CHEUNG visited her niece and her family who had just bought a flat and introduced to them the LR’s “Property Alert” service. In addition to the existing 24-month subscription package available at $250, property owners may opt for the new One-off Subscription at merely $580 which will remain valid until a change of property ownership. During the subscription period, subscribers will receive email notifications from the LR when instruments in relation to the subscribed property are delivered for registration. Subscribers will be informed of the particulars of the lodged instruments, including their nature, date, date of delivery for registration, and memorial number from the email notification. In short, subscribers of One-off Subscription do not have to apply or pay fee for service renewal as long as the property remains under their names.

According to Ms Doris CHEUNG, “Property Alert” helps property owners to remain vigilant of what is happening to their properties, making it a most suitable tool for anyone who owns a property in Hong Kong, particularly those who stay outside Hong Kong most of the time or have their properties rented out. In case any instruments purporting to sell or mortgage a property without the owner’s knowledge have been submitted to the LR for registration, the service will, by alerting the owner, enable him/her to discover the situation at an early stage and take follow-up actions or seek legal advice promptly.

The Land Office, the predecessor of the LR

The LR is often called “the Land Office” by the general public. In fact, the Land Office was the predecessor of the LR and a department under the former Registrar General’s Department. The LR was established in May 1993 and it is one of the first trading fund departments in Hong Kong. Its main duties are registration of instruments affecting land, provision of facilities for search of land register and supply of copies of related land records, as well as registration of owners’ corporations.

The Government strives to build Hong Kong into a smart city. The LR’s “Property Alert” service capitalises on the benefits of the e-Alert Service to let property owners remain vigilant of their properties by keeping track of the land registers easily anywhere in a quick and inexpensive manner. I hope the Development Bureau and its departments will work on the development of even more electronic and new information services to facilitate easy access of required information by the general public and related sectors of society.

 
Please click on the image above to watch the video.
The Land Registrar, Ms Doris CHEUNG (left), starred in a short film with her colleagues to explain the benefits of the “Property Alert” service.
The Land Registrar, Ms Doris CHEUNG (left), starred in a short film with her colleagues to explain the benefits of the “Property Alert” service.
The Land Registrar, Ms Doris CHEUNG (left), starred in a short film with her colleagues to explain the benefits of the “Property Alert” service.
According to the Land Registrar, Ms Doris CHEUNG (left), “Property Alert” is particularly useful for owners staying outside Hong Kong for extended periods of time or have their properties rented out.
According to the Land Registrar, Ms Doris CHEUNG (left), “Property Alert” is particularly useful for owners staying outside Hong Kong for extended periods of time or have their properties rented out.
The LR’s Integrated Registration Information System Online Services provides the general public with a full range of land search services.
The LR’s Integrated Registration Information System Online Services provides the general public with a full range of land search services.
The LR provides services including registration of instruments, search of land register and supply of copies of land records, and registration of owners’ corporations. The public can make use of the services by visiting the LR’s Customer Centre and the New Territories Search Offices in person.
The LR provides services including registration of instruments, search of land register and supply of copies of land records, and registration of owners’ corporations. The public can make use of the services by visiting the LR’s Customer Centre and the New Territories Search Offices in person.
The LR provides services including registration of instruments, search of land register and supply of copies of land records, and registration of owners’ corporations. The public can make use of the services by visiting the LR’s Customer Centre and the New Territories Search Offices in person.
The LR provides services including registration of instruments, search of land register and supply of copies of land records, and registration of owners’ corporations. The public can make use of the services by visiting the LR’s Customer Centre and the New Territories Search Offices in person.
Pictured is the New Territories Land Register (First Generation), now kept in a showcase at the LR’s office.
Pictured is the New Territories Land Register (First Generation), now kept in a showcase at the LR’s office.
Colleagues of the LR starred together in the short film to remind the property owners to stay vigilant of what is happening to their properties.
Colleagues of the LR starred together in the short film to remind the property owners to stay vigilant of what is happening to their properties.
The LR’s “Property Alert” service enables property owners to remain vigilant of their properties easily by keeping track of the land registers anywhere in a quick and inexpensive manner.
The LR’s “Property Alert” service enables property owners to remain vigilant of their properties easily by keeping track of the land registers anywhere in a quick and inexpensive manner.

10 February, 2019

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