Portal guidance notes - version 10
Release date: Monday 12 October 2009
Portal guidance notes - version 10Release date: Monday 12 October 2009 |
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2.1 Minimum standard of electronic equipment
2.2.2 Information systems acquisition, development and maintenance
3.2.1 Physical and environmental security
4.1 Description of security measures
5 Access to the portal ‘register for service’ page
6 Selecting the services you wish to subscribe to
6.1 What services can I access under each agreement?
6.2 Portal Conditions of Use (CoU)
6.3 Network Access Agreement (NAA)
7 What agreements and application forms do I need to complete?
8 Completing and lodging your application
9 Application for business e-services
9.2 *Your organisation details
9.5 Variable direct debit details (VDD)
9.6 * Primary administrator details
9.7 Additional administrator details
9.8 *Delivery method of security credentials
9.10 *Responsible person details
9.11 *Delivery method of security credentials
9.13 *Contact details for queries relating to this application
9.16 *Network Access Agreement details
9.16.1 *Qualified person details (Unless you are a government department)
9.16.3 *Connected persons information (mandatory unless you are a government department)
10.1 Variable direct debit (VDD) application form and mandate
10.1.2 Existing credit account facilities in operation
11 Where to send your completed application
12 How Land Registry deals with your application
14.1 Creation of administrator accounts
14.3 Personal identity numbers (PIN)
14.4 Access to administrator services
14.5 Services available to the administrator
14.5.1 Managing the accounts of the organisation
16 End of Electronic Notification of Discharge (ENDs)
17 Information for existing Land Registry Direct (LRD) users
This document provides guidance on how to access Land Registry’s portal and register for electronic services delivered through the portal.
Land Registry will make changes to ensure the security of our systems is protected. We will also improve the system as new developments allow. This document will be updated when necessary to reflect such changes. Land Registry may change the provisions of this document at any time.
Land Registry has introduced a secure website platform from which to launch all existing and future electronic services. This platform is called the Land Registry portal. The portal is an electronic gateway that in time will enable all customers to access systems from a single central point.
The portal can be tailored to an individual customer. This will give access to the services you require by using associated role types that meet your needs.
Registered organisations will control their own access permissions.
These permissions will be administered and maintained by a designated person within your organisation, called an administrator.
The services an organisation can obtain will depend upon the agreements that they have signed up to. In effect, the system will know who the organisation is, what services they can access and who in that organisation has been granted permission to use those services.
The services provided by Land Registry are delivered through an internet browser.
The following browsers are officially supported:
For the specifications of personal computing (PC) devices that run the browser on a particular operating system, the user should refer to their PC supplier.
Land Registry services require a connection to the internet. A broadband connection is recommended.
For administrators who use a security token in addition to the above browser requirements a PC running either a Windows 2000 based operating system (including Windows 2000, 2003, XP and Vista variants) is required. (For more information on system requirements for administrators using a security token see section 14.2 Tokens.)
Land Registry expects you to maintain up-to-date system patches, security updates, anti-virus software and other countermeasures to protect your system.
You will be responsible for the costs and expenses of buying, obtaining, installing, connecting and upgrading the electronic equipment to the minimum standard including the cost and expenses of telephone line rentals, calls and connecting the equipment and/or software.
Any software that could interact with Land Registry systems should be thoroughly tested and you must have your own testing procedures and policies in place and apply them rigorously.
Some free/beta programs can contain bugs or viruses, which could pose a threat to Land Registry systems. Applications and operating system software should only be implemented in operational systems after extensive and successful testing.
Testing should be done in a secure environment with non-sensitive data. Access to system files and program source code should be controlled.
Due to the wide range of system configurations connected to the Land Registry system, Land Registry cannot be prescriptive about procedures and standards that would minimise the possibility of unauthorised access, fraud and forgery.
For information about Land Registry security see section 4. It contains guidance relating to passwords. Section 14, Administrator functions, contains details of the additional security requirements applicable to administrators.
Although there are general guidelines for keeping business IT secure here, more detailed guidance can be obtained from:
You should have an information security policy within your organisation that all of your staff is aware of, and which covers all of the following matters.
Ensure that your workplace is secure to prevent unauthorised access.
It is your responsibility to ensure that employees, contractors and third party users understand their responsibilities. This will reduce the risk of misuse of facilities. You should further ensure that they are aware of information security threats and concerns, their responsibilities and liabilities.
Ensure only authorised staff have access to Land Registry systems.
This should also include a formal process for adding and removing access rights for staff. If mobile working or working from home is being used, security processes will need to be in place to ensure secure access.
When employees, contractors and third party users leave your organisation, or change employment, the administrator will terminate their access. This must be done immediately.
When an administrator leaves your organisation, or changes employment the responsible person should contact the Land Registry administrator to terminate their access and identify a replacement.
Any access violations, loss of equipment, breaches of physical security or theft, that could affect Land Registry, should be reported to us. This should be done as quickly as possible through the administrator.
If the administrator thinks that an access violation, breach of security or theft has taken place and that this could affect the Land Registry systems adversely, they should contact Land Registry customer support by one of the following methods.
Email: customersupport@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 0844 892 1111
Note: The administrator actions should be supervised by the responsible person.
The Land Registry security solution provides an appropriate way of authenticating users and is described below.
Land Registry uses a variety of mechanisms to secure its systems.
At initial account creation the system will generate a user ID for each user. In addition to a user ID, a password must be created. Initial login will be achieved using a temporary password that is issued by the system. The user will then be asked to create a new password of their own choosing within permitted rules on the first occasion that they have successfully logged in.
This sign on will allow access to all services for which the user has the associated permissions. Those with the role of administrator will be set up with an additional account for their administrator role to ensure separation of duties. If a user within a firm is also an administrator they will possess two separate user IDs and passwords.
The password should represent an effective balance between strength of security and usability. All passwords must:
It may also help to remember more complex passwords if users use a password based on a mnemonic pass phrase eg ‘I like to walk my dog 12 times each day’. By taking the first letter of each word, they would create the password ‘ILTWMD12TED’.
The general password rules are as follows.
Shared secrets are commonly used by businesses for providing access to confidential information. A shared secret is something known only to the user and the system that they are interacting with. In the case of the Land Registry portal, following the first successful login by a user, they will be given a choice of five questions pre-determined by Land Registry, and will be asked to provide answers that are memorable to them for three of the five questions. Once these answers have been stored, the questions will be used by the system if the user is required to verify their identity or they need to reset their password. Two shared secret questions will be asked.
When setting shared secrets the following rules apply. Shared secrets:
If a user has forgotten their password, or has been locked out of the system because they have entered it incorrectly five times consecutively, there will be a self-service menu option available, which will allow the user to verify their identity and reset their password. This makes use of their pre-set shared secrets as referred to above. The user will be asked to answer two of their three shared secret questions and if they answer correctly they will be allowed to re-access the system and choose a new password. If they answer either of the two questions incorrectly five times they will be locked out of the system and their account will need to be reset by an administrator. In the case of an administrator, the account will need to be reset by the Land Registry administrator. The administrator should contact the Land Registry customer support by one of the following methods.
Email: customersupport@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 0844 892 1111
To access Land Registry Business e-services, you will require a marketing reference number. This number will be issued to you by the preferred delivery method that you identify upon your expression of interest in Land Registry Business e-services, together with a link/web address to the portal.
By entering the web address or clicking on the link, you will connect to the portal ‘register for service’ page. The Land Registry portal system will request that you enter your business unit name (organisation name) and the marketing reference number in the fields indicated and select the ‘next’ button to determine that the combination is valid.
The organisation name should be the name of the legal entity (see section 18 for further definition of a legal entity) that is applying for services, whether a limited company, partnership, limited liability partnership, local authority, sole practitioner, or government department. Once validated the system will take you through to the welcome page.
The welcome page will present you with a choice of service groupings.
In addition to Land Registry Information Services, you can choose to subscribe to other service groups. These optional service groupings are:
You will need to consider carefully which agreements you are eligible for, and which you wish to sign up to.
The criteria for granting a NAA, which you must enter into for Network Services are set out in Schedule 1, Land Registration (Network Access) Rules 2008 – LR (NA) R2008. They are outlined in section 6.3 below.
The MoU is for lenders to lodge electronic discharges directly with Land Registry and will replace the ENDS service.
Third party organisations can also apply for a MOU where they are the appointed agent of a lender.
In order to assist you, a full list of the services available within each service grouping and the agreements required are set out in section 6.1 below. In addition, further information about each agreement is given in sections 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4 below.
The table below sets out the services available in each of the service groups.
Service Groups |
Services |
Agreement |
Information Services Note: Subscription to this service is mandatory. |
Information services include:
Land Charges Services include:
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Portal Conditions of Use (CoU) (Note: See section 6.2)
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Network Services (Optional) |
For the creation and lodgment of electronic documents (including the application of electronic signatures (where appropriate).
Automated registration of:
Electronic attachment solution for documentary evidence. New certificates that will be added to electronic documents in lieu of documentary evidence. Limited data checking facility. |
Network Access Agreement
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Lender Services (Optional) |
For the creation and lodgement of electronic discharges e-DS1: Electronic discharge of registered charge Automated registration of:
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Memorandum of Understanding for portal |
Before applying for any services you should carefully consider:
You are not obliged to apply for every service you are eligible for at the outset. Provided your application for Land Registry Information Services has been approved, you will be able to apply for additional service agreements at a later date if you satisfy the criteria for them.
Subsequent applications for additional services will require a fresh marketing reference number. Completion of an ‘additional services’ application form is available for download from the register for service site.
If you wish to apply for Network Services and/or Lender Services, select the optional box/es as appropriate.
Click the ‘next’ button and the system will display the agreements and documents for each service group and will request confirmation from you on your selection of services.
Click the ‘next’ button and the ‘confirmation’ page will be displayed.
Your agreement to the Portal Conditions of Use is mandatory and without confirmation of agreement, services through the portal will not be made available to you.
The application form for electronic services delivered through the portal incorporates certification of acceptance of the CoU and, together with the appropriate signature, will be deemed to indicate agreement on behalf of your organisation.
It should be noted that the CoU and the terms of the NAA are mutually exclusive. You will have to accept the CoU while applying for an NAA. Once you have an NAA, you will be operating under the terms of the NAA and the CoU will not apply to the terms and provisions of the NAA.
Land Registry Information Services and Network Services provided under the Land Registration Act 2002 and Land Registration Rules 2003 will be subject to notices under the Land Registration Rules 2003. You will be subject to the provisions of the notices and will need to comply with the terms of the notices.
Although the CoU may be downloaded in paper form, there is no requirement to do so. We do not require a copy, signed or otherwise, with your application papers. It is, of course, strongly recommended that the CoU is read and fully understood to be able to complete the certificate in the application form. You should note that the CoU might change from time to time, so you will need to ensure that you have read the latest version.
To use Network Services your organisation must enter into an NAA (Technical Manual (parts 1 and 2) form part of the NAA).
Before applying for Network Services you should carefully consider:
The responsible person, administrator and users must be made fully aware of their duties and responsibilities under the NAA and Technical Manual before being allowed access to the network. It is for your organisation to put its own policies in place for training and supervision of users operating under the NAA.
You should also ensure that you have proper arrangements in place for instructing and supervising the administrator as to who in your organisation is to be given access to the network and at what role based access level, if the administrator is not a legally qualified person.
Only those organisations meeting the criteria for entry into a NAA set out below should consider applying for Network Services.
Those criteria are referred to in paragraph 1(4) of Schedule 5 to the Land Registration Act 2002 and set out in Schedule 1, Land Registration (Network Access) Rules 2008 – LR (NA) R2008 and include:
Required, unless your organisation is a government department.
An applicant for Network Services must be:
In this context, ‘qualified person’ means:
Note: Where appropriate, the qualified person also needs to comply with Clause 5.02(2)(b) of the Solicitors Code of Conduct under which a person must have been entitled to practice as a solicitor for at least 36 months.
Where you are under an obligation to comply with indemnity rules, you must confirm that you hold a policy of indemnity insurance that complies with the indemnity rules applicable to your organisation. An applicant who is a government department is not required to meet this criterion.
Any other applicant who is not under an obligation to comply with indemnity rules is not required to meet the criterion in paragraph 2(2) of LR (NA) R2008 if he/she demonstrates to the reasonable satisfaction of the registrar that it would not be practicable for him/her to meet the criterion and that such indemnity insurance is unnecessary in view of his/her likely use of the network and his/her likely ability to meet any liability arising from such use.
You must demonstrate to the reasonable satisfaction of the registrar that you are able to comply with the system and security requirements set out or referred to in the agreement in respect of which the application is made. The requirements are set out in the Technical Manual Part 1 if you are applying for Network Services and you can confirm that your organisation meets the minimum technical specification and security requirements by checking the appropriate box on the application form.
You must demonstrate to the reasonable satisfaction of the registrar that you will be able to meet his likely obligations in respect of the payment of fees. This requirement is satisfied if you already have an active variable direct debit payment facility with Land Registry or you lodge an application for a variable direct debit account (with your application for Land Registry Business e-services) that is completed successfully.
If the organisation applying for the NAA or certain other persons connected to the organisation (referred to in LR (NA) R2008 as a connected person, as defined in paragraph 9 (a), Schedule 1):
Land Registry will investigate the circumstances of any such events, and decide whether you are likely to comply with the terms of an NAA if granted. Your application will be refused if we are not so satisfied. The details of these criteria are set out in paragraphs 6-9 of Schedule 1 of the LR (NA) R2008.
It will therefore be necessary to check not only whether the organisation applying is affected by paragraphs 6 and 7 of Schedule 1 of the rules but also whether connected persons are affected.
The LR (NA) R2008 explains the meaning of “connected persons” as follows:
(i) a partnership or limited liability partnership of which the applicant was a member (partner/manager) at the relevant date,
(ii) a body corporate (other than a limited liability partnership) of which the applicant was an officer (director or secretary) at the relevant date,
(iii) where the applicant is a partnership or limited liability partnership, a member (partner/manager) of the applicant,
(iv) where the applicant is a body corporate (other than a limited liability partnership), an officer (director or secretary) of the applicant.
All organisations applying for Network Services, with the exception of government departments, must supply information to enable Land Registry to make the necessary investigation.
You must supply a list of all connected persons (as explained below). This should be supplied on a separate sheet or sheets and attached to the Application for electronic services delivered through the portal.
If your organisation is a partnership you must provide a list of all managers (partners).
If any of your managers has been a manager (partner/member) of another partnership or LLP providing legal services in the last three years, please provide details.
If any of your managers has been a manager (director or secretary) of a company providing legal services in the last three years please provide details.
If your organisation is a limited liability partnership you must provide a list of all managers (members).
If any of your managers (members) has been a manager (partner/member) of another partnership or LLP providing legal services in the last three years, please provide details.
If any of your managers (members) has been a manager (director or secretary) of a company providing legal services in the last three years please provide details.
If your organisation is a company you must provide a list of all managers (directors and secretary).
If any of your directors or secretary has been a manager (partner, member, officer) in another partnership, LLP or company providing legal services in the last three years please provide details.
If you are a sole practitioner and you have been a manager (partner, member, officer) in another partnership, LLP or company providing legal services in the last three years please provide details.
You must certify in the relevant section of the application form whether or not paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 to the LR (NA) R2008 applies to your organisation or connected persons. If paragraph 7 does apply, you must provide details of the circumstances that apply to you or any connected persons. This will enable us to consider whether you are likely to comply with the terms of a NAA if granted.
When you are applying for Land Registry Network Services under a NAA, you are required to lodge two copies of the NAA. You must complete the details of your organisation’s name, postal address and email address on both copies of the agreement. One of these copies must be signed on behalf of your organisation. The second copy should not be signed as it will be signed on behalf of the Chief Land Registrar, once your application has been approved. Both copies must be left undated. Land Registry will enter the date on both copies. This will be the date of approval of your application. A NAA is a legal agreement and must be signed on your behalf by a person with the appropriate authority to sign agreements.
This agreement is specifically designed to meet the needs of lenders who wish to participate in cancelling charges from the register by means of an electronic form DS1 (e-DS1).
There are three versions of the MoU available, depending upon whether lenders intend to create and submit electronic discharges on their own behalf, or if they prefer, to employ an agent company to do this for them.
If you are a lender who intends to create and submit electronic discharges on your own behalf, download, complete and return the MoU available within the ‘register for service’ web pages.
Lenders who wish to use e-DS1s in lieu of paper DS1s or ENDs for the purpose of cancelling registered charges should submit two copies of the MoU. Both copies must be left undated. Land Registry will enter the date on both copies if your application is approved.
One copy of the MoU must be signed by the lender. The second copy should not be signed as it will be signed on behalf of the Chief Land Registrar, and returned to you when your application has been approved. You may then begin setting up user accounts with the relevant role based access level.
If you are a lender employing an agent to act on your behalf, or you are an agent acting on behalf of the lender, contact your account manager or customer support who will be able to provide details and copies of the MoU appropriate to your situation.
The ‘confirmation’ page will present you with a list of documents. These are the documents appropriate to the services you wish to apply for.
Each document can be downloaded in PDF for you to complete and return to Land Registry if necessary.
The documents available for downloading are as follows.
To download, click on the document and a ‘file download’ dialogue box appears.
Click ‘open’.
An Adobe Reader window opens and displays the selected document.
Select the print icon to print the document to a printer within your organisation.
Repeat this process for each of the documents you need to download and complete.
Note: Two copies of each of the agreements entered into must be lodged with your application form if you are applying for Network Services and/or Lender Services. If you are applying for Information Services you do not need to sign or send us a paper copy of the Portal Conditions of Use.
When you have downloaded your documentation, follow the completion guidance notes that can be found in the sections indicated below.
Only complete those parts of the forms and agreements that are relevant to the service groups you require. If you have a designated Land Registry account manager, they will be pleased to assist with completion of the form/s and any associated documentation.
The following notes will assist you in the completion of the application form.
All fields marked * are mandatory.
*Marketing reference
Enter the marketing reference number issued to you by Land Registry that enabled you to access the ‘register for service’ pages.
Check the box(es) of the business e-services your organisation wishes to apply for.
The sections of the application form you must complete are referred to.
Section 1 (to be completed by all applicants)
The details entered in this section should relate to the registered or head office of the organisation/legal entity.
A definition of a legal entity can be found in section 18 of this document.
In the next field enter details of all existing variable direct debit key numbers that you hold with Land Registry and wish to use for Land Registry Business e-services. This does not include any key numbers belonging to existing credit accounts. Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary.
Please note if you are an existing credit account ‘key’ holder and are requesting a VDD ‘key’ account, you will be assigned a new VDD only ‘key’ account for use with these services.
If you do not have a VDD account please complete a VDD application and mandate form.
Land Registry will use the administrator details entered here on the application form as the primary point of contact.
If you require a second administrator, enter their details here.
If you require further administrators, they can be entered on a separate continuation sheet (AFS4).
This gives the administrator the choice of how they will receive details of their security information required to access the system. Check the box appropriate to their choice.
These details will also be required for each additional administrator identified. A continuation sheet is available from the register for service site or on request from customer support using one of the following methods.
This is a nominated person within the organisation (probably a solicitor or licensed conveyancer) who will have access to reports documenting the activities of the administrators under any agreement.
This is to assist your organisation in its obligation to be properly supervised and managed, as required by regulators and existing legislation.
This gives the responsible person the choice of how they will receive details of their security information required to access the system. Check the box appropriate to their choice.
Providing details of a training officer are optional. If identified, all fields marked * are mandatory.
This person will be the first point of contact for Land Registry in relation to any training for the users in your organisation to access and use the services available through the portal.
Enter the contact details of the person completing the application in block letters.
At least one of the options must be completed
Section 2 (to be completed by all applicants)
This section records the certifications required in order for your organisation to be able to access Land Registry Business e-services.
The certificate states that:
In order to signify your agreement to this certification, the application should:
Section 3 (only complete this section if applying for Network Services)
Please see section 6.3 Network Access Agreement (NAA) – qualified person.
Enter details of a qualified person
Please see section 6.3 Network Access Agreement (NAA) – insurance.
Place an ‘X’ in one of the four boxes showing insurance statements appropriate for your organisation and enter your organisation name.
Where necessary complete the associated mandatory fields and relevant details for the statement you have selected.
Please see section 6.3 of these guidance notes – previous termination etc for definition of a connected person/s.
Complete this section with details of all connected persons in the organisation. If necessary, use continuation sheets (AFS3) and place an ‘X’ in the box at the foot of the page.
The continuation sheet (AFS3) is available from the register for service site or on request from customer support using one of the following methods.
Email: customersupport@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 0844 892 1111.
Select one of the two statements in respect of paragraph 7 of LR (NA) R2008 that applies to your organisation by placing an ‘X’ in the appropriate box.
Where circumstances do apply to the organisation or any of the connected persons, enter details of each circumstance in the space provided, using separate sheets if necessary.
Section 4 (optional)
This section enables you to choose if you wish to receive information about future products and by what means you would prefer to be contacted.
In order to access Land Registry Business e-services, all organisations must have at least one active variable direct debit (VDD) account.
Direct debit is a payment scheme that protects the interests of the payer with a guarantee. The direct debit guarantee provides assurance to the payer that any money debited in error will be refunded immediately by the payer’s bank.
A VDD scheme is one where the value being debited varies, as does the frequency of the debit, to tie in with the nature of the business involved.
Land Registry’s VDD payment scheme will operate on a daily basis. Following assessment of fees, on each working day a collection is due; advance notification of the amount to be debited from your account will be emailed to you. Land Registry will notify you two working days in advance of your account being debited.
The notification will be issued to an email address of your choice that lists all individual transactions. The notification is sent under cover of an email and contains two attachments, a direct debit notification provided in PDF and a data file which contains the same details as the PDF but in comma separated value (CSV) format.
To use VDD you will need to have:
To register for the VDD scheme an organisation must complete a Land Registry VDD application form together with a direct debit mandate that is either passed to your organisation’s bank or may remain with Land Registry and the details passed electronically.
Complete both the VDD application form and the mandate in capital letters. Sign and date the declaration on the VDD application form and the instruction on the mandate. The information provided would be used to assess your application; please ensure that it is legible, accurate, and as complete as possible. Details omitted and the use of initials or non-standard abbreviations may lead to delay or the application being declined.
An application for a VDD account is a legal contract and must be completed on behalf of the legal entity by a person with the appropriate authority to sign contracts. You must also supply VDD mandates, for the purpose of forwarding to your nominated bank.
In some circumstances, Land Registry staff may, as part of the validation process, conduct online credit checks with credit rating organisations such as Dun & Bradstreet.
Subsequent suspension of one or more VDD accounts may result in automatic suspension of access to Land Registry Business e-services.
Your organisation may already have a credit ‘key’ account facility with Land Registry. If this is the case you will have to apply for a variable direct debit ‘key’ account. You will then be assigned a new VDD only key account number for this account.
Simply complete the VDD application form where indicated in the bank details section:
Note: You are still required to complete a mandate for the replacement of a credit account by a VDD account. A separate application form and mandate will need to be completed for each credit account number that is to be replaced by a VDD account.
Once a VDD account is activated any credit accounts not converted to VDD will be closed. Land Registry will identify any existing credit accounts that are associated with your organisation and contact you to arrange for these to be closed.
Any outstanding balance on a credit account can be collected by VDD rather than by cheque, simply by checking the box indicated on the VDD application form.
Existing VDD account key numbers that you wish to use for Land Registry Business e-services may be entered on the application form (AFS1). If this is the case, you do not need to complete a VDD application form and mandate.
If you have a business need, you may apply for more than one direct debit account. Each account may relate to the same banking details, but the postal or DX address attributed to each can differ. Alternatively, you may apply for additional accounts with completely unique bank and address details. We would encourage you, wherever possible, to avoid applying for multiple direct debit accounts with the same banking and address attributes.
Each request for a new account must be made using the VDD application form and mandate and accompany your application.
If you require this material on VDD accounts in an alternative format please contact Customer Service at Land Registry Head Office on 020 7917 8888.
Any queries relating to your accounts should be directed to:
Accounts Section
Land Registry
Plumer House
Tailyour Road
Crownhill
Plymouth
PL6 5HY
DX 8249 Plymouth 3
Telephone: 01752 636690
Fax: 01752 636699
Email: creditaccounts@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk
Once you have identified the services and associated agreements appropriate to your needs and have completed the relevant sections of the application form/s and agreements, these should all be sent together to:
Service Access Team
Land Registry Customer Contact Centre
PO BOX 569
Swansea
SA7 9FQ
Or
Service Access Team
Land Registry Customer Contact Centre
DX82805
Swansea 2
On receipt of your application pack, the contact named in your application form will be sent an acknowledgment of receipt, either by return of post or email. Land Registry will begin processing your application for service. This comprises a series of checks dependant upon the nature of the services you are applying for. These checks will range from confirming that all appropriate documents have been lodged, with relevant mandatory application form fields being completed correctly, through to financial checks outlined above and, in some instances, interrogation of regulatory websites and more detailed investigations.
Land Registry staff will always endeavour to process and complete applications for portal services based upon documentation supplied at the time. Sometimes it may not be possible to do so without the need to revert back to you for additional information or actions. In circumstances where a telephone call will suffice, our Service Access Team may call your nominated contact. Telephone calls may be followed up by a written communication, email or postal, if an immediate response is not possible.
When it is necessary to return a document to you, for instance to have mandatory data fields completed, this will be sent with a covering letter via Royal Mail or DX. Generally, we will grant a period of 20 business days for you to respond.
An inability to comply fully with points raised in a requisition, within the timescale given, may result in your application being rejected. If your application is rejected, the allocated marketing reference number will be invalidated and you may need to be allocated a new marketing reference number before you re-submit the application.
Failure to comply with the criteria for the services you are applying for may also result in the rejection of your application.
Sometimes, Land Registry may be unable to approve every aspect of an application, even after raising a requisition, for example, where it includes Network Services or Lender Services, in addition to the standard Land Registry Information Services.
Consequently, there may be instances where Land Registry can grant access for Information Services but have not been able to establish the criteria to allow access under a NAA (see LR (NA) R2008). In such cases we will proceed to complete your application in respect of Information Services only, unless you have indicated, in response to a requisition, that you wish to withdraw your application in its entirety. In making any decision as to whether to withdraw or not, you should take note of the sections on closure of credit accounts and closure of Land Registry Direct.
A statutory right of appeal to the adjudicator to Land Registry is available in respect of applications for a NAA (Network Services) only. You may appeal if your application has been rejected or, subsequently, if an existing NAA is terminated by Land Registry, and you are aggrieved by the decision. We will tell you how to contact the adjudicator if we reject your application.
Once we have satisfactorily completed all of the relevant checks associated with your application, Land Registry will make arrangements to allow you to become an active user of our systems and services. Firstly, we will set up accounts for you, your responsible person and your nominated administrator/s, as they will be responsible for the creation of all individual user accounts within your organisation.
Various security credentials will be issued to your administrator, together with information on training materials. These will enable your administrator to begin setting up accounts for individual users, so that they are able to start using services.
Every administrator will receive, by recorded post, one security token for his or her own use when creating or updating accounts, along with their personal user ID. In addition, they will be provided, by separate communication via their chosen medium, with a unique password. This must be changed when they first login to the system.
The responsible person will also be sent a communication confirming that your application has been successful and what, if anything, they should do next.
Details of any new key numbers allocated to VDD accounts will be sent to the named contact on the VDD application form. Your administrator will require any allocated key numbers when first creating new user accounts.
We will also write to the named contact on the application for service form, enclosing, where appropriate, the Land Registry signed and dated copies of the NAA and MoU for your retention.
Provided your application for services is not subject to any defects that require us to seek additional information or action from yourselves, we expect to have it completed within fifteen working days.
With regard to the information and details you will have provided in your application form, you should note the following.
You can get more details by referring to www1.landregistry.gov.uk/access/data_protection.
You must nominate at least one administrator on the application for Business e-services form (AFS1) for your organisation.
The role of an administrator is to administer system access for the individual users existing within your organisation. Administrators will also be provided with permissions that enable them to manage the accounts of the users within their organisation. You must therefore provide the administrator with the appropriate instructions and authority to carry out this role.
Land Registry will create accounts for the administrator(s) and will provide them with a user ID and temporary password. They will also be issued with a security token, as they will be required to authenticate at a higher level on accessing the system (details of this process can be found in subsections 14.2 to 14.3 below). The administrator(s) will also be expected to complete the training packages identified to the primary administrator with their token before commencing their duties.
It is your responsibility to cover the possibility of an administrator being unavailable, so you should appoint a sufficient number of administrators. We will ask you to nominate a primary administrator who will act as the main point of contact for Land Registry queries.
If only one administrator is nominated, they will be regarded as the primary administrator by default.
A One Time Password security token is a one-touch number generator that is compact and easy to use. The token generates and displays an eight-digit number sequence that is unique, time limited and can be used only once. They are durable against normal wear and tear, with a typical lifespan of approximately 5 years.
When administrators attempt to login to the Land Registry system via the desktop or web portal, they will be prompted to enter their unique one time number sequence. The Land Registry system authenticates the identity of the user and access is granted.
The token is vital to security and it permits the administrator to perform the actions allocated to them. For further security:
Administrators:
In order to access the services that the administrator requires, he or she will need to follow authentication processes when they login to the Land Registry system. First time access to administrator services will be granted as follows.
Administrator enters their user ID and temporary password.
Administrator is prompted to change their password.
Administrator changes their password.
Administrator is required to create shared secrets for their account.
Administrator is prompted to generate and enter the number sequence from their security token.
Administrator is provided with menu of administrator services.
Subsequent access to administrator services will be granted as follows.
Administrator enters their user ID and password.
Administrator is prompted to generate and enter the number sequence from their security token.
Administrator is provided with menu of administrator services.
When the administrator accesses the system, the available services will be displayed on a menu. The available services are listed in subsections 14.4.1 and 14.4.2 below.
Note: Should an administrator require access to Land Registry services available to their organisation (Information, Network or Lender services), a separate user account appropriate to the services will be required.
The administrator will be responsible for managing your organisation’s account. The following services are available to the administrator for the management of your organisation’s account.
The following services allow the administrator to manage the accounts of individual users.
The procedure for making changes to administrator accounts is the same whether an account is being added, deleted or updated.
The responsible person within the organisation must request all changes. On receipt, Land Registry will check the provenance of the request and, if satisfied, will make the necessary change.
In your application for services you must nominate a responsible person in your organisation. If your organisation is a conveyancing organisation it is expected that the responsible person will be a solicitor or licensed conveyancer, whereas the administrator may not be legally qualified, but may instead be an IT officer.
The responsible person should not normally be the same person as the administrator, since a report will be available to the responsible person through the portal confirming actions taken by the administrator. This will assist you with supervision of the administrator (and overall supervision as required by rule 5 of the Solicitors’ Code of Conduct, rule 4.3.3 of the Licensed Conveyancers’ Conduct Rules, section 22 of the Solicitors Act 1974, and section 11 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985 and in due course, the Legal Services Act 2007, Part 3, section 91 and Schedule 2 Part 5, if any of these apply to your organisation).
The organisation must have an established procedure for authorising the administrator to perform the tasks that the administrator is able to do, such as setting up user accounts and updating user accounts. That may mean that such instructions or authority should come only from the responsible person. Alternatively, if someone other than the responsible person supervises the administrator, the responsible person should be aware of the procedures and policies that are in place.
To facilitate supervision of the use of the system, and to reduce the risk of fraud or misuse, a report, available to the responsible person through the portal when the administrator does any of the following.
The report will allow the responsible person to check that the administrator is acting under proper instructions, given by means of the established procedures, in accordance with the organisation’s defined policy.
Land Registry will reissue tokens as quickly as possible if you have suffered a critical business failure through theft, flood, and fire etc. You will need to tell us which tokens have been lost so we can cancel them; otherwise we will cancel everything that has been assigned to you.
If you cannot gain access to the system and you think it is a problem with Land Registry rather than a problem with your own hardware or software, first telephone:
Use this to check whether there is already a message with information about the nature of the problem and when it is likely to be fixed. This message will be updated regularly (and will state when it was last updated). If there is no message, contact:
Use this to explain the problem. If it appears that the problem lies with Land Registry, the information will be passed on to our IT Service Desk. They will ascertain what the problem is and how long it is likely to take to fix. A message will be put on the Land Registry status line providing as much information as possible.
If the system is not available, the following procedures should be followed:
If you are a current user of the Electronic Notification of Discharge (ENDs) service please be aware that Land Registry intends to withdraw this facility entirely following the successful introduction of e-DS1s. For new applicants to Lender Services a three-month transitional period will operate in which both ENDs and e-DS1s may be submitted.
On 30 April 2010 all access to LRD will be terminated as the LRD system will no longer be in use for existing registered users. Users of LRD who wish to continue using these services will instead need to migrate over to the new Land Registry portal by that date where they will find these services available under business e-services as Information Services and Land Charges Services. The following provides an overview of the process of migration.
Once your organisation has activated their accounts in the portal, administrators are requested to add all users to the portal within 90 days of initial activation. These accounts should be fully operational within that time as the company LRD Account will not normally be actively managed after this period.
Land Registry will begin the final switch-off of the LRD system from January 2010. When possible Land Registry intends to switch off individual company LRD accounts as and when they are identified. Customers will be given due notice of account switch-off.
For customer support during the period of migration from LRD to portal, administrators should contact the Land Registry customer support either by email, on customersupport@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk or, by phone on 0844 892 1111.
Although there is no facility on the LRD web pages to provide answers to questions about the migration of LRD users to the portal, the LRD message page will be updated regularly to provide reminders.
Legal entities
By this we mean something that has a legal personality, or a recognised legal structure, such as a limited company, a PLC (public limited company), a partnership, a limited liability partnership, a limited partnership, a sole practitioner, a local authority, or a government department. That legal personality, if it is not an individual person, may be a result of statute.
Company
When a company is formed under the Companies Act 1985, and registered at the Companies Registry, the company acquires a legal personality quite distinct from that of its members. It can sue and be sued, is liable for taxation and can own property including machinery, goods, equipment and estates.
Limited liability partnership
An LLP has a separate legal identity from its members. It can hold property in its own right and has unlimited powers to deal with estates.
LLPs are corporate bodies registered at the Companies Registry under the Act. Regulations made under the Act apply a number of provisions of the Companies Act 1985 to LLPs.
Partnership
A partnership is defined by s.1, Partnership Act 1890 as the relationship, which subsists between persons carrying on a business in common with a view to profit. Although a general partnership (often called “the firm”) may sue and be sued in the firm’s name, the firm is not a separate legal entity in its own right and so may not be registered as the proprietor of an estate or a charge. For the purposes of signing up customers to the portal, Land Registry will be signing up the partnership rather than the individual solicitors/conveyancers in the partnership.
Limited partnership
A limited partnership is a special type of partnership set up under the Limited Partnership Act 1907 (the Act). The Act enables a person to become a sleeping partner who, although he has contributed to the business, is not involved with the management of it and has only a limited liability to the creditors. In a limited partnership, there must be at least one partner whose liability is not limited in this way.
Therefore a limited partnership consists of:
The Registrar of Companies has to keep an index and a register of limited partnerships. There are very few limited partnerships in existence.
Sole practitioner
A sole practitioner may have employees, but will not have partners. The sole practitioner is the person with legal responsibility. Perhaps confusingly, some sole practitioners practice law using a trading name that suggests that they are a partnership or company, such as Jones and Sons, Smith and Co, Youngs Solicitors.
For alternative formats please contact customer support on 0844 892 1111.
Issued by Land Registry Corporate Marketing Services September 2009
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