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In This Volume

  • 377 (1) The register and any other official records of the land title office are open to inspection and search by any person on reasonable conditions the registrar may impose.
  • (2) If the registrar considers that the state of business in the registry requires, the registrar may process applications for a search in a different order from that in which the applications were made.
  • (3) The registrar may direct
  • (a) the manner of conducting a search, and
  • (b) that a search be accompanied by an application in the form directed by the registrar.
  • (4) A search may be

  • (a) a general search of the register showing the title to the land that is comprised in one indefeasible title,
  • (b) a special search confined to a single instrument,
  • (c) a name search to ascertain the land registered in the name of a person, or
  • (d) if permitted by the registrar, a search for pending applications against the title to the land that is comprised in the indefeasible title.
  • (5) An application for a search must state the nature of the search required and must be made in person by the applicant or by the applicant’s solicitor or agent.
  • (6) The director may by regulation exempt
  • (a) a class of charge, or
  • (b) the names of a particular person or class of persons
  • from the application of a search under subsection (4)(c).
  • (7) On a general search, the applicant is entitled to search any record not shown in the register that may affect the title of land covered by the search.

1979-219-306; 1982-60-80, proclaimed effective August 1, 1983.

PRACTICE

Direct Access to Land Title Records

Personal access to land title records can be obtained by attending at any land title office or any office of a government agent in the province. For a list of land title offices and their locations, see the Introduction to this Manual.

Access to Land Title Records

Searches of land title records stored electronically may be conducted by land title users through a myLTSA account. The Land Title and Survey Authority offers two myLTSA services—myLTSA Enterprise and myLTSA Explorer. Copies of most documents received after 1990 and most titles, regardless of the date of issuance, may be requested electronically through this service.

For further information contact:

  1. myLTSA Technical Support for myLTSA portal matters, including assistance with accounts and Electronic Filing and Search services technical inquiries:
    • Metro Vancouver area: 604-630-9630, press 2
    • Elsewhere in B.C., Canada, or the U.S.: 1-877-577-LTSA (5872), press 2
  2. Customer Service Centre for general land title and survey matters, including policy and practice information:
    • Metro Vancouver area: 604-630-9630
    • Elsewhere in B.C., Canada, or the U.S.: 1-877-577-LTSA (5872)
  3. Online at

Miscellaneous Notes Endorsements and Associated Plan Searches

Miscellaneous Notes

New miscellaneous notes endorsements against parcels will be limited to significant internal land title office information involving the parcel, such as agricultural land reserve letters.

Newly received filings of Associated Plans, such as posting plans and statutory right of way plans filed without an accompanying charge document, are no longer endorsed under miscellaneous notes, but will instead be seen as an “Associated Plan” within the Parcel Information available for a particular parcel, or through the “Plan Search by Short Legal Description” functionality.

Although newly filed plans will no longer be endorsed in miscellaneous notes, all existing historical miscellaneous notes entries will continue to be available. Miscellaneous notes may be searched through myLTSA using the “Parcel Information and Miscellaneous Notes Search” functionality. Detailed information regarding miscellaneous notes searches is available in the myLTSA Search Services User’s Guide.

Searches for Associated Plans

Links have been established within the land title register to allow much of the plan information historically contained in miscellaneous notes to be searched within the new “Associated Plan” functionality. Searches for Associated Plans can be done by accessing the Plan Information associated with a particular parcel identifier number, or through the “Plan Search” functionality in myLTSA. Detailed information regarding the Plan Search functionality is available in the myLTSA Search Services User’s Guide.

Plan Search is intended to assist customers in being able to find plans and to verify them prior to purchase. The results of Plan Search are not guaranteed to identify all relevant plans, owing to the nature of the historic data held by the LTSA. The LTSA is researching the historic data to improve these linkages. Consequently, other methods of search may be required in order to identify all plans required for a particular project. These methods include, but are not limited to, reviewing certificates of title, registered charge documents, and miscellaneous notes.

Important limitations to keep in mind when searching for associated plan information:

  • Certain historical plan filings (such as many “DF” plans) are not captured by an associated plan search due to their historical designation as a document. Historical plans that were assigned a document number, along with other historical documents such as Gazette filings or survey letters, will continue to appear in miscellaneous notes. Accordingly, customers searching for associated plans should also check for the existence of historical miscellaneous notes entries; the existence of miscellaneous notes will continue to be shown by the inclusion of “(MN)” or an asterisk next to the PID.
  • Historical charge plans will not be identified as an associated plan if they were not endorsed in the “charge remarks”. Generally, charge plans were also not endorsed in miscellaneous notes when they were submitted with an accompanying instrument. In order to identify hardcopy plans that have been lodged in support of a registered charge, customers must search the title and the relevant registered charges to ensure a complete investigation of charge-related plans.

CROSS REFERENCES AND OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Use of Name Search to Determine If Judgment Debtor Owns Land

Conducting a name search in the computer records of the land title office is a helpful method of determining whether a judgment debtor owns property.

Secondary Sources

See Di Castri, Registration of Title to Land, vol. 1, paras. 34 and 41.