Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction. (Government of Alberta)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Provincial Politics

Province announces Land Titles backlog eliminated

Dec 5, 2023 | 3:30 PM

Alberta’s government says it has eliminated the backlog in the Land Titles office, and for the first time in more than two years, processing times are back to normal.

Between April 2021 and December 2022, provincial officials say requests at Alberta’s Land Titles office increased by 86 per cent. This increase was a response to Alberta’s growing population and economy, and wait times were exacerbated through the COVID-19 pandemic, say provincial officials.

To tackle the delays, the government says it increased funding and staffing to the office, and kept counter service closed past the pandemic to address the backlog. Now that processing times have been reduced, the government says Albertans doing real estate transactions, and the professionals supporting them, can focus on investment and economic growth.

“The successful elimination of a two-year backlog in land titles brings renewed economic growth and prosperity to the province,” says Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction. “Land titles are vital for sectors like real estate, agriculture and resource development, as they ensure legal ownership and facilitate transactions. Through collaboration with employees and industry stakeholders, the land title registration process has been streamlined, resulting in a significant boost to the Alberta economy.”

Every day, the government says more than $340 million in economic activity is processed through Alberta’s Land Titles office, so addressing this backlog was described as crucial. Officials say processing times peaked in December 2022, when Albertans were experiencing 84 days to process a transfer and register a title and 55 business days for surveys. Now, those processing times are said to be down to 10 to 12 days, the lowest in more than two years. With processing times back to normal, the government notes that full front counter service has reopened to the public.

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“We want to commend Minister Nally and staff at the Land Titles office for the incredible progress made on addressing delays in land titles,” shares Scott Fash, chief executive officer, Building Industry and Land Development Association Alberta. “By eliminating the backlog in the short term while committing to a modernized system in the long term, the Government of Alberta is supporting a reduction in red tape, costs and the unnecessary delays that have prevented Albertans from getting into homes.”

“This announcement will help to vastly improve wait times for all and ultimately allow legal professionals to ensure their clients are being serviced in a timely and professional manner,” notes Heidi Semkowich, president, Alberta Association of Professional Paralegals. “This is a huge step forward and the AAPP is looking forward to working with government on continued process improvements in other areas that impact Albertans.”

Alberta’s government says it is investing nearly $60 million over three years to replace Land Titles’ outdated systems and improve service delivery. Currently, many of these systems are said to be paper-based and ill-equipped to respond to changing market conditions. When this work is complete, it is expected documents will be processed within five business days, say government officials.

Alberta government quick facts

• More than $50 billion in real estate transactions are conducted in Alberta every year.
• More than $500 billion in private property is managed through the Land Titles registry.
• The Land Titles office has two locations: one in Edmonton and one in Calgary.
• To ensure statutory compliance and property rights of owners, the Land Titles office conducts careful and thorough reviews of all documents and plans that are submitted.
• All changes to title (i.e., who owns the land) must be registered with the Land Titles office.

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