Recent cases of identity fraud have highlighted the need for landowners to update their contact addresses at the LR.

The LR will use the contact address in the proprietorship register if it needs to contact the landowner. It will not check whether the owner has moved (or if a company has changed its registered address). A failure to have the correct address could mean that the landowner does not receive an LR notification that (eg) someone is claiming adverse possession; is applying to register a notice against the title; has applied to cancel a notice that has been registered over the property to protect an interest in the property; or applied to cancel a restriction.

It is now possible to include up to three different contact addresses (including a overseas address). However, it should be remembered that contact addresses will become a matter of public record, and so it may be better to avoid including a home address. Do not forget to include trust property, since the contact addresses for the trustees named on the registered title also needs to be kept up-to-date.

In practice, one suspects that there are many instances where people who own several properties have not updated their contact addresses. Accordingly, consider advising clients of the importance of checking all registers to ensure that addresses are fully up-to-date. [2009] 236 PLJ 19.