How to Read an Ontario Parcel Register: Owners, PIN and Instruments

You may be holding a printout that is mostly codes, dates and abbreviations. It came from a purchase, a refinance, a family transfer or just your own curiosity, and you want to know who owns the property and what is registered against it.

This article walks through the usual parts of an Ontario parcel register in plain words. It is a general guide only. Registers vary, and a lawyer should confirm what a specific entry means for you.

What a parcel register is

Ontario's land registry is online only and holds the official records of property ownership for more than 7.4 million parcels. A parcel register is the page of that record for one parcel. It lists the documents that have been registered against the property over time.

Anyone can search, view and download current and historical property records, such as a parcel register, through OnLand for a fee. Documents are registered electronically through Teraview by authorized account holders. ServiceOntario reviews and certifies registrations, but it cannot search, give legal advice or explain any property's records. That is why many people bring a register to a lawyer.

The main parts you will see

Layouts differ, but most registers have the same building blocks. Use this table as a reading guide.

Treat the table as a starting point. The exact meaning of each field and each short code is worth confirming with a lawyer rather than guessing.

Reading the owners and instruments

Start with the most recent transfer, which should show who currently holds title. Then read the list of instruments in date order. You are looking for a clear chain: each owner sells or transfers to the next, and each mortgage that was registered has a matching discharge once it was paid off.

• Check that the names match your own, including spelling and middle names.
• Count the open mortgages and compare them to the loans you know about.
• Look for documents you do not recognize, especially a transfer or a mortgage you never signed.
• Note any entries after a death, such as a survivorship application. After a joint tenant dies, the survivor updates title with a Survivorship Application that states the property was held as joint tenants and gives the date of death.
• Note who signed. The required statements in survivorship and transmission applications can only be made by a solicitor.

What a register cannot tell you

A register is a record of what was registered. It does not tell the whole story of who has rights in the home. Under the Family Law Act, both spouses have an equal right to possession of a matrimonial home, whoever is on title. A spouse generally cannot sell or mortgage a matrimonial home unless the other spouse joins in or consents, has released their rights in a separation agreement, or a court order authorizes it. A spouse who is not on title may therefore have rights that you will not see by looking at the owner line.

There are exceptions. Consent is not needed for a property that the spouses have not designated as a matrimonial home, where a joint designation of another property is registered and not cancelled. The matrimonial home rules apply to married spouses, and common-law couples are treated differently. Because of this, a clean-looking register does not answer every ownership question.

What to do next

Reading a register is easier when you compare it with your own paperwork. Then decide whether anything needs a professional's eyes.

• Gather your purchase documents, mortgage statements and any discharge letters.
• Order a current register through OnLand if your printout is old.
• Highlight every entry you cannot explain.
• Ask a lawyer about unfamiliar entries, unexpected mortgages or anything that appeared without your knowledge.
• If you think a document was registered fraudulently, act quickly and see our guide on title fraud.

Frequently asked questions