Conveyancing search

What is Crown land conveyancing search?

A Crown land conveyancing search will give the following information about Crown land holdings as at a given date:

• Crown tenure type
• Crown tenure status
• registered holders
• Lot and DP identifiers
• primary due date
• current annual gross rental
• current amount due (only available where the debt transfers with the land).

What is a Crown tenure?

Crown tenure is a term used to describe:

• incomplete purchase, a perpetual lease, a term lease, a special lease or a permissive occupancy administered under the provisions of the Crown Lands (Continued Tenures) Act 1989
• any lease, licence or enclosure permit granted under the Crown Lands Act 1989
• any lease granted under the Western Lands Act 1901

When is a conveyancing search necesary?

The department strongly recommends anyone intending to purchasing a property, especially waterfront land or rural properties, undertakes a search of Crown land prior to settlement to determine:

• the existence of any Crown tenures
• any amounts due (the payment of these rents are subject to private arrangement between the vendor and the transferee)
• the due dates for any rental amounts owing.

You should discuss the need for a financial search with your solicitor.

For further information on waterfront and rural properties, refer to licences, enclosure permits and Western lands leases.

Making an application for a search

Search applications can be made by completing the Conveyancing search: Crown land conveyancing search application and forwarding the form, together with payment, to:

• Email: searches@crownland.nsw.gov.au (for monthly account holders only)
• Fax: (02) 4925 3452 or (for monthly account holders only)
• Post: PO Box 2155 Dangar NSW 2309

Please note that the search attracts a fee and no search results will be provided until full payment is received.

The following information should be provided on the Crown land conveyancing search form:

• holder(s) name
• property address
• Crown tenure type
• number and land district, (eg. SL 12345 Lithgow, EP 45/89 Molong)
• account number (if known)
• folio reference (certificate of title reference)
• Lot/DP number