Limited Title Surveys

A limited title is 'limited as to parcels, and issued where the boundaries of the property have not been sufficiently defined to the standard required for a fully guaranteed title. A limited title survey adequately surveys the property to define the boundaries, and removes the limitation.

A limited title survey is needed when a property owner wants to convert their limited title to a guaranteed title to have more boundary certainty, or to subdivide a limited title property into multiple new titles. Orogen can confirm whether your title is limited and what is required to upgrade it.

An ordinary (guaranteed) freehold title has been fully surveyed and the boundaries are guaranteed by the state under the Land Transfer Act 2017. A limited title does not carry this guarantee; the boundaries are approximate and may be subject to correction. This matters when building, subdividing, or selling a property.

Yes. Orogen carries out a full cadastral survey of the property, prepares a survey plan to LINZ's current standards, and lodges it with LINZ to upgrade the title. Once LINZ approves the plan, your solicitor registers the title as a guaranteed title.

Timeframes depend on the property's history and the complexity of the existing boundary records. Allow three to six months for most limited title surveys from instruction to LINZ approval. We will give you a more precise estimate once we have reviewed the title and survey records.

We need the title reference and the certificate of title (which your solicitor or LINZ can provide). We will then carry out our own records research before advising on the scope of work and fee. If you have any historical plans, deeds, or aerial photos of the property, these can be helpful but are not essential.