News Release Archive
HOUSING/MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS--IMPROVEMENTS TO PROPERTY REGISTRY
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A new personal property registry system will be in place in Nova
Scotia this fall.
The computerized service will be available provincewide and
delivered through ACOL, an on-line service providing electronic
access to information maintained by the four provincial
governments in Atlantic Canada.
The Nova Scotia Department of Housing and Municipal Affairs
signed an agreement today with Unisys Canada to implement the
personal property registry system. The agreement builds on a deal
signed in May 1996 in Charlottetown between the premiers of the
Atlantic provinces and Unisys Canada establishing ACOL.
"This will improve the environment for commercial activities in
this province," said Jim Smith, Nova Scotia's housing and
municipal affairs minister. "We've taken our original plan one
step further by taking the ACOL route. This leaves the door wide
open for an Atlantic region registry in the future."
Said David Wagner, president of Unisys Canada: "Through this
public-private partnership, we have established 32 jobs in Nova
Scotia related to the development of the new personal property
system and the ACOL solution."
The benefits of the new system include: a reduction in paper
burden and storage costs for registry operations; self-entry of
information by clients, allowing them better control over
information transfers into the system; improved search
capabilities; improved security and control over personal
property records, and an increase in the level of service to
clients via electronic registration and search, a particularly
important feature to the business community.
The Nova Scotia personal property registry will be the first
major offering delivered through ACOL. Sandy Jolly, the minister
responsible for ACOL in Nova Scotia, recognized the importance of
bringing the two initiatives together.
"The ACOL-personal property registry solution in Nova Scotia will
be a flagship for other provinces that demonstrates the benefits
to be gained through effective application of electronic
technology," said Ms. Jolly.
There are several reasons for an overhaul of the registry system.
Registration is still done in each county at a registry of deeds
office; there is no provision for a centralized provincewide
registry to ensure the protection of financial interests in a
more mobile society. As well, the existing registry is
paper-based and offers no automated search capability.
For many years the financial and legal communities have expressed
frustration over the existing system. For example, when a
consumer buys a used car today, that individual would have to
conduct a manual search in 18 registry offices throughout the
province to ensure there are no outstanding liens against the
vehicle.
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Contact: Greg Beaulieu
Housing and Municipal Affairs
902-424-7643
Bill Stapleton
Unisys Canada Inc.
902-423-3027
trp Apr. 30, 1997 - 2:15 p.m.
