Land Registry: successful pilot The Land Registry will use e-mail to send requests for information arising during a title registration from next month, under a new system that will be rolled out across the country by November, it announced last week.

Following the success of a two-month pilot in April and May, initiated at the request of solicitors and other customers, the Registry will automatically send requisitions by e-mail where an e-mail address is provided on the application form.


However, it will not look for an e-mail address on any other documentation, and solicitors who want to receive information requests by post should not provide an e-mail address on the form.


The Registry has also launched a variable direct debit scheme for payment of registration service fees, with notification of the amount to be debited e-mailed in advance.


Land Registry project manager Martin Gardner said: ‘A number of solicitors in our 2003 customer survey asked for our requests for information to be sent by e-mail. There will be considerable speed benefits as it will cut a whole day of mail delivery. Many solicitors are already working in an electronic environment and will no longer have to dip out of this.’


He added: ‘Some of the larger firms that took part in the pilot were receiving 60 requisitions per day, and they have been the biggest supporters of the new system. The electronic requisitions are also directed straight to the relevant team, so that they do not have to be sorted by the post room. That is a huge time-saver even before the e-mail has been opened.’