LINZ News
LINZ's new Chief Executive
LINZ will welcome its new Chief Executive Colin MacDonald on 1 July 2008.
Colin has held the position of Deputy Commissioner, Business Development and Systems at the Inland Revenue Department since 2001, and has also acted in the position of Chief Executive there.
He grew up in Glasgow and went to Glasgow University, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. He is also a Chartered Engineer and a member of the British Computer Society.
In 1994, Colin moved to New Zealand and joined KPMG holding positions of Senior Consultant and Associate Director. Following this, he became the Chief Operating Officer for the ANZ Banking Group (New Zealand) Limited. With more than 25 years' experience in leadership and IT, he will bring a range of skills and knowledge to LINZ.
"I look forward to getting out and meeting our key stakeholders and listening to any ideas and issues they might have," says Colin. "Stepping in at a time when 100% e-lodgement is on the horizon, I consider it a great opportunity to reflect on where we've been and where we're heading."
Colin MacDonald, LINZ's new Chief Executive
Landonline
Minor revisions to Landonline Remote Access General Terms and Conditions, and Digital Certificate User Obligations
LINZ recently carried out a routine assessment of the documents that make up the contract it has with customers who use Landonline to ensure they are relevant to the current business operating environment.
As a result, some minor changes have been made to improve clarity around the additional supporting documentation that forms part of the Terms and Conditions and User Obligations, Digital Certificate security, and minimum system requirements.
The changes/additions follow (in italics):
Landonline Remote Access General Terms and Conditions
Access and Use
- You will be provided with instructions that will help you access and use the Landonline service to which you subscribe. The instructions comprise of documents entitled 'Digital Certificate downloads and instructions' and 'Storage of Digital Certificates, Passwords and Passphrases'.
- You are responsible for ensuring that your computer system meets the 'IT and system requirements for using Landonline' as published on the Landonline website.
Security
- You are responsible for ensuring that only the Subscriber named in the digital certificate installs that certificate.
- You are responsible for ensuring that your people do not install another person’s digital certificate.
Miscellaneous
- The Landonline Terms and Conditions together with the User Obligations, 'Digital Certificate downloads and instruction' and 'Storage of Digital Certificates, Passwords and Passphrases' constitute the entire understanding and agreement between you and LINZ as to the subject matter of these general terms and conditions.
Landonline Digital Certificate User Obligations
Storage and Protection
- No person shall download another person’s digital certificate. This rule applies equally to Agents, who shall not download a digital certificate on behalf of another person.
- The Subscriber or person named in the digital certificate is the only person authorised to download that certificate.
These changes were made in consultation with the NZ Law Society and the NZ Institute of Surveyors, and will come into effect on 1 August 2008.
Microsoft Windows VISTA update
Last year, we advised you that we had begun work on VISTA to confirm its operability with Landonline, specifically the Citrix environment in which we operate.
We are currently testing our support model for VISTA, which we expect to complete by 31 July 2008. The versions of VISTA we will be supporting are Business and Ultimate.
For a list of current operating systems that operate successfully with Landonline, please refer to the System support policies: what LINZ supports section on the Landonline website.
We will provide further information in July's edition of Landwrap.
Request Product List tip
Some Request Product List responses from LINZ are being identified as SPAM by some email filters at the customer's end if the 'subject line' has been left blank. This means you will not receive your request.
To avoid this, enter a subject in the 'subject line' field when completing the Request Product List form. This will then appear as the subject in the email response to your request.
See screenshot below:
Do you use a dial-up connection to access Landonline?
We would like to talk to Landonline customers who currently connect to the internet via a dial-up connection.
If you fall into this category, and are happy to answer some questions about your Landonline experiences using dial-up, please send an email with your contact details to info@linz.govt.nz with 'Internet Connectivity' in the subject line.
Landonline performance and stability update
During the last few months, we have continued our planned programme of infrastructure changes to enhance the performance and stability of Landonline.
We have:
- replaced the transaction server, which included future proofing for predicted increases in processing volumes
- split batch processes over two servers - one is now dedicated to Plan Generation batch processing, and the other will manage remaining batch processes including Request Product Lists
- upgraded/reviewed the web servers that deliver images from the image database when requested.
An additional major piece of work, due to be completed mid July, has been the move to a 'high availability' network operating environment. This type of network provides greater resiliency of hardware components by reducing the risk of any 'single points of failure'. Avoiding single points of failure is achieved by duplicating key areas of the Landonline infrastructure and creating automatic failover options, where possible, throughout the end-to-end service.
During the next few months, we will:
- refresh the Citrix environment, including web interfaces, Secure Citrix Gateway and Presentation Server, to ensure all the latest versions are in place
- conduct additional testing of our disaster recovery capability following all the infrastructure changes.
The Citrix environment refresh will occur during the next few months and we will provide you with more detail closer to the time.
This programme of infrastructure changes is planned to be completed well ahead of the final mandatory date for 100% e-lodgement.
Regulatory
LINZ identify verification standard: LINZS20002
The Registrar-General of Land has issued a new identity verification standard for land title registration purposes, which takes effect from 1 August 2008.
The standard sets minimum requirements for client identification in conveyancing transactions. It will be used by lawyers and others who witness or certify conveyancing documents for registration.
The standard will:
- reinforce current requirements for identity verification by reference to government issued photo ID
- require additional corroboration, e.g. a rates demand, bank statement, or utility account, for landowners transferring or mortgaging land, except where the practitioner personally knows and can vouch for their client's identity
- formalise past guidance on triggers for further inquiry and places an onus on practitioners to undertake additional verification in the case of 'high risk' transactions, which are defined in the standard, and
- formalise past guidance on procedures for verification of identity in the absence of photo ID.
Representatives from LINZ, the NZ Law Society, the NZ Police and the NZ Bankers' Association developed the standard.
The standard is available on the LINZ website - LINZS20002
Limited partnerships
Limited partnerships may be registered as proprietors of land and deal with land under the Land Transfer Act.
Limited partnerships are corporate bodies with the words 'limited partnership' in their name or the abbreviation 'LP' or 'L.P.' at the end of the name.
The Limited Partnerships Act 2008 provides that a limited partnership, registered by the Registrar of Companies under section 51 of the Act, is a separate legal person (section 11). The limited partnership has full capacity to carry on or undertake any business or activity, do any act, or enter into any transaction (section 12) including to transfer or take a transfer of property (section 14).
When a limited partnership deals with land, documents for registration under the Land Transfer Act should be signed under the name of the limited partnership by:
- a general partner (whose signature does not have to be witnessed), or
- if the partnership agreement of the limited partnership so provides, any person or class of persons whose signature or signatures must be witnessed.
This follows the requirements of section 17(1)(a) of the Limited Partnerships Act. In relation to (ii) above, the person executing should describe themselves as an 'authorised signatory' or similar.
A limited partnership instructing a conveyancer to lodge an e-dealing should sign Authority and Instruction forms in the same manner.
