By Legal Futures Associate SearchFlow [1]
From November 2022, HM Land Registry will no longer accept scanned or PDF versions of AP1s. This move towards a seamless, paperless Digital Registration Service will undoubtedly accelerate processes and help eradicate errors and delays in the long term. But in the short-term, property lawyers must get ready to adapt to this new system.
Digital AP1s: At-a-glance summary
- HM Land Registry’s Digital Registration Service (which will completely replace the Document Registration Service from November 2022 onwards) is now up and running, which means that property lawyers can already create and submit a digital AP1.
- From November, this will be the only way to submit applications for changes to registered titles.
- The Digital Registration Service guides users through the necessary steps to creating and sending an AP1 application – you’ll need certain information, like title numbers and applicant details.
- The portal connects with existing Land Registry information to intelligently pre-populate data fields and even calculates your fee for you before supplying your e-AP1, either by email or as a download.
So far, so simple.
But there is an even quicker way: SearchFlow’s Post Completion service [2] manages your SDLT and AP1 returns together. Using securely held data on our platform and our full integration with HMRC and HMLR, some of our customers have seen time savings of up to 8 minutes per case. For law firms with multiple transactions to manage at the same time, the time-savings can be even greater. For example, we estimate that SearchFlow’s Post Completion services could save law firms more than 1,000 hours a year, based on 101 applications per month.
Find out more about our Post Completion service here [2].
Want to learn more about the upcoming AP1 changes? Watch our 20 minute webinar. [3]