Caveats and Statutory Land Charges
Select a transaction from the list below. Please note that the Legal Services Agency requires a sealed document for each transaction (including consents) and that it cannot execute A&I forms.
Complete and save the Word document and email (Word format preferred) to debt@lsa.govt.nz with your letterhead or contact details and any solicitor’s undertaking or invoice. Please include your client’s legal aid number and name.
Your documents will be posted to you and you will need to register them with Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), which should be done through e-dealing. For any queries on LINZ, including fees, contact details or the e-dealing process, see www.linz.govt.nz or call 0800 665 463.
For all legal aid debt queries or if you are a barrister sole without an instructing solicitor, or require assistance with PPSR charges or overseas properties, or don’t have email access, please call the Agency’s Debt Management Group on 0800 600 090.
Create a caveat
Where the client has a legal interest in the property and has signed an authorisation letter for a Statutory Land Charge, select Caveat 1 (Word doc 40kb).
Where the client has a legal interest in the property, but has not signed an authorisation letter, select Caveat 2 (Word doc 40kb). If the case is finalised, we require your invoice for the caveat together with the draft caveat.
Where the client has a Notice of Claim over someone else’s property, select Caveat 3 (Word doc 41kb).
Create a Statutory Land Charge
Select SLCNotice (Word doc 61kb). Where a caveat is in place for the same file, a withdrawal of caveat (see below) may also be required. Please attach your invoice for the Statutory Land Charge to your email along with the draft notice.
Create a consent form
Select either consent form (ConsentCAV or ConsentSLC (both 61kb Word docs)), depending on whether the Agency has a caveat or a Statutory Land Charge over the property. We also require images of all dealings to be registered (e.g. A&I form for transfer, mortgage etc.) Please advise us of the anticipated settlement date, if any.
| Please note that the granting of a consent is discretionary and that further information may be required before a decision is made. If a consent is declined, reconsideration and review rights may apply. |
Remove a caveat or Statutory Land Charge
Select CaveatWDL (Word doc 38kb) or SLCRelease (Word doc 61kb) as appropriate. Please include any solicitor’s undertaking in your email and advise us of any settlement date for the transaction. If you need a repayment figure, contact us on 0800 600 090. Detailed payment instructions will be sent to you with the sealed document.
Sample solicitor’s undertaking:
I/We undertake to hold the release/withdrawal unregistered until I am/we are in a position to repay in full the debt owing to the Legal Services Agency and I/we further undertake to keep the Legal Services Agency's interests protected at all times pending such repayment.
