Definitions of land titles terms
Find definitions of common terms used in land titles transactions below.
You can find more definitions of common property terms on the Real Estate Institute of the NT website.
Client authorisation is a form of authority that must be obtained by a legal practitioner or conveyancing to act on behalf of a client.
Read more about client authorisation.
An ELN is a network established to create and electronically lodge lands title instruments online with the jurisdiction’s land titles office.
Electronic Lodgement Network Operator (ELNO)
An ELNO is an organisation that is authorised to operate an ELN in a jurisdiction by the state or territory registrar.
Joint tenants have an equal interest in the whole of the property. Unlike tenants in common who have distinct shares in a property.
Upon the death of a joint tenant, the ownership of the land automatically belongs to the survivor.
It is usually not possible for a joint tenant to:
- leave their share in a will or
- pass it on to a beneficiary where there is no will - unless the joint tenancy is broken up by law.
A company cannot be a joint tenant.
A land caveat is a legal notice on a title stating a possible interest in addition to that of the owner.
You should get legal advice before you lodge a caveat.
A land title is kept in a register of land and can contain registered dealings including the following:
- mortgages
- transfers
- leases
- discharge of mortgages
- and applications to replace land title certificates.
Rules that an Electronic Lodgement Network Operator (ELNO) must follow when operating within a jurisdiction.
These were developed by the Australian Registrars’ National Electronic Conveyancing Council (ARNECC).
For more information, go to the ARNECC website.
You can also read more about eConveyancing.
The model participation rules are rules subscribers must follow when submitting applications online (eConveyancing).
These were developed by the Australian Registrars’ National Electronic Conveyancing Council (ARNECC).
For more information, go to the ARNECC website.
A legal entity registered to use an ELN to complete conveyancing transactions electronically, either as or on behalf of a transacting party.
This may be a legal practitioner or conveyancer on behalf of a client.
Read more about eConveyancing.
Tenants in common is when owners have distinct but undivided shares in the same property.
Although each person owns a specified portion of the property, none can identify a particular part of the property as being their share.
The major difference between tenants in common and joint tenants is that there is no right of survivorship with tenants in common.
When registering an instrument transferring an interest to co-owners, the Registrar-General must also register the co-owners as holding their interest as tenants in common or as joint tenants.
If the instrument does not show whether co-owners are to hold as tenants in common or as joint tenants, the Registrar-General must register the co-owners as tenants in common.
Torrens title is the system for registering and recording land ownership and interests in the NT.
Under the system, an interest in a land is created by the registration of an instrument in the land register.
Verification of identity
Verification of identity is the steps taken to verify the identity of a transacting party
Read more about verification of identity.