On April 13, 2020, the Director of Titles for the Province of Ontario issued a notice to the Ontario Expropriations Association clarifying expropriation best practices in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic.
Although the electronic land registration system remains fully operational and many physical Land Registry Offices remain open for the filing of expropriations, it is not “business as usual”. There have been unplanned closures of some Land Registry Offices and its clients may experience delays in the review and approval of expropriations plans.
To minimize this risk, the Director of Titles has recommended that expropriating authorities submit expropriations plans to Land Registry Office and wait for approval before submitting certificates of approval to approval authorities for signature.
In furtherance of minimizing delay, it is strongly recommended that expropriating authorities attempt to co-ordinate projects in advance by emailing PlanSubmissions@ontario.ca with a detailed explanation of the anticipated scope of the project (such as the affected Land Registry Offices, the number of plans that will be submitted, and the names of the surveyors who will be submitting those plans, etc.).
The Director of Titles has also requested that surveyors and others do not physically attend at the Land Registry Offices for pre-approval, inquiry, or co-ordination purposes.