REGISTERS OF SCOTLAND NEWS

19/09/2008 - PISCES
PISCES announces launch of e-registration project with Land Registry, please click here.

02/09/2008 - SDLT Holiday
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced that from 3rd September he will introduce a temporary holiday (“exemption”) from Stamp Duty Land Tax (‘SDLT’) for acquisitions of residential property worth not more than £175,000.

The exemption will be available where the effective date of the land transaction (normally the date of settlement) is on or after 3rd September 2008 and before 3rd September 2009. For that period the threshold for payment of SDLT has been raised from £125,000 to £175,000.

The exemption does not alter the requirement for solicitors and their clients to complete and submit a Land Transaction Return to HM Revenue & Customs. As such the change to the SDLT threshold does not affect the obligation contained in section 79(1) of Finance Act 2003 to present a SDLT certificate along with appropriate deeds/applications for registration or recording.  All deeds/applications which currently require an SDLT certificate will continue to require such a certificate.

See the SDLT FAQs for further information

15/08/2008 - Registers Direct 2
To view the email recently sent to all key contacts of RD accounts on the migration process, please click here.

14/08/2008 - Legal Update
Solicitors are reminded of the dicta in the case of The Board of Management of Aberdeen College v. Stewart Watt Youngson and Another [2005] CSOH 31 and are advised that the Keeper will not accept a Disposition granted by a party or parties to themselves in the same status or capacity for recording in the General Register of Sasines or for registration in the Land Register.

30/06/2008 - SSSI Register
Registers of Scotland (RoS) will maintain a new online Register of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) from today (30 June 2008). The Register will hold information on all SSSIs across Scotland.  A SSSI is an area of land that Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) considers to be special for its plants, animals, habitats, rocks or landforms, or a combination of such natural features. Go to SSSI Page

23/04/2008 - Changes to Bankruptcy Legislation
Part 1 of the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Act 2007 came into effect on 1 April 2008. View more...

24/10/2007 - Annual Report 06/07
Registers of Scotland's latest Annual Report and Financial Accounts is now available. Annual Report and Accounts Financial Accounts 06/07

04/09/2007 - Registers Update 22
This Registers Update contains information on the forthcoming HBOS Reorganisation. View more...

24/08/2007 - Portland to Merge with Nationwide BS
With effect from the 28th August 2007 (‘the appointed day’) the business of Portman Building Society will transfer to and vest in Nationwide Building Society by virtue of Instrument of Transfer of Engagements dated 2 March 2007 as confirmed by the Financial Services Authority on 26 July 2007. View more...

15/08/2007 - Register of Floating Charges
Part 2 of the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 3), which received Royal Assent on 15 January 2007, provides that the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland shall establish a register to be known as the Register of Floating Charges. View more...

02/08/2007 - Glasgow Registration Office
Please note that our Glasgow Registration Office has moved from 150 St Vincent Street, Glasgow to Hanover House, 24 Douglas Street, Glasgow G2 7NQ, Telephone Number 0141 306 1500, Fax Number 0141 306 1501.

Hanover House is not open to the public and general enquiries should continue to be directed to Customer Services in Edinburgh or Glasgow. See contact details: http://www.ros.gov.uk/customerservices/contactus.html

Please also note that LP and DX numbers remain unchanged. For details see link:
http://www.ros.gov.uk/customerservices/dx_lp.html

28/06/2007 - Gender Equality Scheme
The Agency publishes its Gender Equality Scheme. This general duty came into effect on 6 April 2007 under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, as amended by the Equality Act 2006. View more...

07/05/2007 - eFORMS Maintenance
Due to essential maintenance eForms will be unavailable from 6pm (18:00) on Friday 11 May until 7am (07:00) on Monday 14 May. Registers of Scotland wish to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Customers are reminded that all of the Agency’s forms are also available to download in PDF format at www.ros.gov.uk/newforms.

20/04/2007 - Law Society Guidelines on Adobe Acrobat Reader for ARTL Users
Registers of Scotland (RoS) wishes to bring to the attention of all ARTL users an issue regarding the application of digital signatures within Adobe Acrobat Reader software in particular the Law Society's directions on page 3. View more...

12/04/2007 - Business Plan Summary 2007 - 2008
The Agency publishes its business Plan Summary for the year 2007 to 2008. View more...

11/04/2007 - SDLT Updates
The latest updates from HM Revenue and Customs regarding SDLT. View more...

03/04/2007 - Keeper's Directions Nos.1 & 2 of 2007
The Automated Registration of Title to Land (Electronic Communications) (Scotland) Order 2006 gives power to the Keeper to make Directions by amending (a) the Requirements of Writing (Scotland) Act 1995 to allow for Directions as to the standard of electronic signature to be used within ARTL and (b) the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979 to allow for Directions as to the roll out of ARTL across Scotland. The Keeper has now made the first Directions in terms of these powers in order to validate transactions carried out through the Automated Registration of Title to Land system as part of a rigorous "fit for purpose" testing before the first stage of the ARTL rollout to solicitors and lenders.

Click here to go to the ARTL Legislation page

20/03/2007 - Further to ARTL Licence Packs
Following the issue of ARTL Licence packs Registers of Scotland has been receiving questions about the roles of Local Registration Authority (LRA) and Practice Administrator (PA). Details of these roles are set out in the Information pack in the "Public Key Infrastructure" and "Role of the Practice Administrator" documents respectively. Registers of Scotland notes that it is for each firm to decide on the numbers of LRAs and PAs in line with their usual considerations for staffing levels.

04/12/2006 - New Registers Updates
The latest Updates from the Registers of Scotland with information on the Fee Amendment Order 2006, New application forms and Land & Charge Certificates. View more...

01/12/2006 - ARTL Licence Packs
Registers of Scotland plans to introduce the new ARTL system of registration throughout Scotland in the early part of next year on a geographical county rollout basis. Information contained in the pack includes the Direct Debit application form and the ARTL Licence application form. View more...

09/11/2006 - ARTL Updates
The latest information on the Automated Registration of Title to Land (ARTL) system including the official terms and conditions and information on Deed Type compatability. View more...

06/11/2006 - Registration Fees Consultation Report
Analysis of the responses to the consultation can be found in the Consultation Report. Meantime, we would like to thank all those who took the time to consider the consultation and made their views known. View more...

03/11/2006 - SDLT Updates
SDLT Updates regarding the new SDLT 5 and the latest Practitioners Newsletter. View more...

18/10/2006 - Annual Report 05/06
Registers of Scotland's latest Annual Report and Financial Accounts is now available from our literature section. Click here to view the Annual Report and Accounts Financial Accounts 05/06

20/09/2006 - SDLT Update
SDLT Updates regarding the new SDLT 46 appeals form and the SDLT Practitioners Newsletter. View more...

01/08/2006 - ARTL Roadshows
In association with Law Society Update, Registers of Scotland will be running a series of roadshows around the country in September and October. These will be free of charge, will last for 2 hours and will qualify for CPD. View more...

26/07/2006 - Delay in issuing SDLT5s
HMRC are aware that there has been a delay with the issue of SDLT5 certificates for transactions submitted online between 14th and 17th July2006 (inclusive). The cases affected have been identified and certificates for those transactions issued from Wednesday 26th July 2006. HMRC extend apologies for the inconvenience caused. View more...

21/07/2006 - Registers Update 20
This Registers Update contains information on the improvements made to the Registers Direct System. View more...

13/07/2006 - Completion of the Registration Fees Consultation
The eight-week period for the submission of responses to the Registers of Scotland recent fee consultation document on a new draft fee order ended on 19th June 2006. View more...

03/07/2006 - Rules Consultation
On 30 June 2006, Registers of Scotland issued a consultation paper to key stakeholders to seek their views on proposed new Land Registration (Scotland) Rules. Our intention is to consolidate the existing Rules with various modifications. The changes relate to Automated Registration of Title to Land and also proposed improvements to the registration process for paper applications. View more...

21/04/2006 - Registration Fees Consultation
Registers of Scotland has recently issued a consultation paper to key stakeholders seeking their views on proposals to reduce fees for applications in the Land Register and General Register of Sasines, and introduce the fees which would apply to applications for registration made in the Land Register using the Automated Registration of Title to Land (ARTL) system, when this is fully introduced in early 2007. View more...

21/03/2006 - Digital Imaging of the Sasine Record
Registers of Scotland and National Archives of Scotland (NAS) have undertaken a joint project to introduce, among other things, a technical change to the method of compiling the record volume of the Register of Sasines.
View more...

06/02/2006 - Registers Update 16.1
This Registers Update contains information on the IT Requirements of Automated Registration of Title to Land (ARTL). View more...

23/01/2006 - REGISTERS DIRECT Training
We have recently updated our REGISTERS DIRECT area, which can be accessed from the Solicitor and Business Customer links. The update includes access to online demo's, searching hints and tips, search guidelines, FAQs and online training modules. View more...

18/01/2006 - Market Research
Registers of Scotland aims to provide the highest levels of customer service. To help us achieve this, we regularly commission independent market research.
View more...