The Land Register is a register of ownership relations and limited real rights established on the registered immovable for the benefit of third persons. The whole Registration procedure: entering files the application, making entries into register part and announcing concerned parties is covered with digital Land Register software. Digital structured data exchange and lot of half-automated activities have done registration more efficient and convenient for the registrar. In addition there are more possibilities for citizens, entrepreneurs and officials to get information from Land register using an online inquiry system, XML services or services by X-Road.
Policy Context
Estonian Land Register is a title based electronic register. The right has to be entered in the land register in order to be valid. The entries made in the land register are presumed correct. Estonia has a system of a strong land register which ensures the legal certainty of immovable property ownership and hedges risks of immovable property transactions because: - the real rights related to a registered immovable are made public through the land register and nobody can be excused of nescience of the data of the land register; - real rights in immovable property are created, amended or extinguished by making a respective entry in the land register and they can be relied on upon making transactions; - entries regarding a registered immovable are made in the order of registering applications in the land registry journal; - the rights entered in the land register can be amended only on the basis of the application or consent of the owner of the right or through judicial proceedings.
Description of target users and groups
Workers of Land Registry departments (The whole Registration procedure is covered with digital Land Register software. Lot of activities are half-automated which means registration is more efficient and lot of routine work can be done without human intervention). Citizens, entrepreneurs and public servants (It is possible to get land register information everywhere you have internet connection, and information you get from the register has legal power electronically. It is easy to built new online services according to clients' needs)
Description of the way to implement the initiative
The Digital Land Register project was initiated in 2002. The coordinating and supervising party was Ministry of Justice. The development team was in Centre of Registers and Information Systems. As Centre of Registers and Information Systems also offers the IT-solutions to the all organizations under the governance of the Ministry of Justice therefore it was not necessary to include any partners into the development process. The basic requirements were described in collaboration with two parties and also assistant judges from Land Registry departments were involved.
Technology solution
Land register system is based on Web application. Microsoft dot.net technology and MS SQL server solution are used. For data transmission between national registers HTTPS and Estonian national secure data transmission system called X-Road are used.
Technology choice: Standards-based technologyMain results, benefits and impacts
Land register information system and data exchange has done electronic conveyancing much easier. It has improved the quality, speed and security of the process of registering. Now the whole Registration procedure (entering files the application, making entries into register part and announcing concerned parties) is covered with digital Land Register software. Lot of activities are half-automated which means registration is more efficient and lot of routine work can be done without human intervention. There are fewer mistakes thanks to digital structured data exchange. For example from Land cadastre we get up-do-date information, and based on that there are automatically new entries made about the parcels’ address, intended purposes or areas. There is also electronic data interchange with notary’s infosystem. Notaries get information from land register for using in contracts and submit contracts and file the application electronically to land register information system. At the moment there are no applications on paper between notary and land register. Quality of texts of entries is improved as these are composed automatically base on templates. The proceeding deadlines have decreased from 3 months to approximately 10 days. Land register information is available for everyone and everywhere you have internet connection and information you get from the register has legal power electronically.
Return on investment
Return on investment: Not applicable / Not availableTrack record of sharing
Digital Land register has been introduced at several conferences in the world like e-conveyancing, Cinder, e-Justice. Several countries have been interested in digital Land register and it has been introduced to the delegation of these countries during their visits to Estonia. Feedback has always been positive and interest towards the system is enormous. Also other project teams who are developing information systems under Ministry of Justice have been using experiences and lessons learnt from Digital Land register project.
Lessons learnt
Everything is possible if: - Team and it's leaders have big dreams and all members are well motivated and believe in the result. - There is good and strong cooperation between related parties. - The state infrastructure and ID-cards, digital signatures, X-road etc. are existing in good level.
Scope: National