Remove Old Property Title Notices

Summary#

This bill changes Ontario’s land registry rules to deal with “notices of lodgement of title” (an old type of note placed on a property’s title). It makes all existing notices of this kind expire on the day the Act starts, and orders the land registrar to remove them from the land register within six months. The goal is to reduce title fraud and clear delays in property deals.

• All current notices of lodgement of title are deemed expired on the day the Act takes effect.
• The land registrar must delete these expired notices from the register within six months.
• New notices of this kind already cannot be registered under current practice.
• The Act starts on Royal Assent (the day it is signed into law).

What it means for you#

• Homeowners and home sellers
  • If your title has a “notice of lodgement of title,” it would end on the day the Act starts, and the land registrar must remove it within six months.
  • This could make selling, refinancing, or transferring your home faster and simpler if that notice had been causing delays.
• Home buyers
  • Fewer titles will show this old type of encumbrance (claim or note), which could reduce confusion and delays in closings.
• People who placed a notice of lodgement of title in the past
  • Your notice will be removed. The bill does not say what, if anything, replaces it. You would likely need to use other legal tools if you still need to warn about or protect a claim. The bill does not explain alternatives.
• Lenders and title insurers
  • Titles may be “cleaner” with fewer outdated notes. This could lower the risk and effort related to this specific kind of entry.
• Real estate lawyers and conveyancers
  • You will see these notices expire and be deleted without needing a separate application, which may simplify some files.
• Land registry office
  • Must identify and delete all such notices within six months.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

• The land registrar will have to review records and delete entries within six months. This likely means some staff time and system work, but the bill gives no cost estimate.
• No fees, fines, or payments are created by the bill itself.

Proponents' View#

• The bill appears intended to remove an outdated instrument that “has no place” in Ontario’s electronic land titles system.
• It could reduce a tool that has been used to “manipulate homeowners” and commit title-related fraud.
• Clearing these notices may reduce uncertainty, financial hardship, and closing delays in property transactions.
• Automatic expiry and deletion put the burden on the registry, not on homeowners, which could make cleanup faster and more consistent.

Opponents' View#

• One concern is that some people may have relied on these notices to flag disputes or claims. Automatic deletion could remove a warning without providing a clear replacement.
• The bill does not explain how affected parties should protect their interests after deletion, which may cause confusion or require extra legal steps.
• It is unclear how many properties are affected, how quickly deletions will be completed in practice, and what the error-checking process will be.
• The measure is narrow. It targets one instrument type and may not address other sources of title fraud.