NRS-21530 | Deposited Deed Indexes

Full description

The Index of deposited deeds records the names of parties from Old System deeds, sometimes together with associated documents, (e.g. Abstracts of Title), that have been permanently lodged with the Registrar General's Office.

Initially, Section 25 of the Titles to Land Act 1858 made provision to permanently lodge Old System deeds and associated documents with the Registrar-General. The index provides a reference to a deposited deed packet in which these documents are held.

Permanently lodging Old System deeds with the Registrar-General negated the need of a Vendor to hand over these documents to the purchaser on conclusion of a property sale. Current provisions and requirements relating to permanently producing deeds being the subject of this Index, are contained in sections 53 and 64 of the Conveyancing Act 1919. Section 53 was a later addition to legislation requiring that, subject to any contrary stipulation in a contract and a covenant to produce documents, deeds must be permanently lodged with the Registrar-General where the Vendor does not retain any part of the estate in the Deed.

This index was discontinued in 1972 with reliance placed on the General Register of Deeds’ primary index, the Vendors Index, for noting deeds that have being permanently lodged with reference to the deposited deed packet in which these documents are held.

On 2 November 1972, the Automated Deeds Indexing System (ADIS) replaced the Vendor Index, and deposited deeds are now indexed in the ADIS.

Deposited deeds and any associated documents provide an invaluable source in tracing a 'Chain of Title' - being the series of deeds and documents evidencing title to land held under Common Law Title also known as Old System Title.

The volumes are arranged alphabetically and chronologically. These records have been digitised by Spatial Services and originals are not to be issued.