Through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Land Title Office introduced remote signing options which assisted in situations where a party was unable to sign with a lawyer or notary in person for reasons related to COVID-19. The Land Title Office has recently announced that those remote signing options will be removed as of September 30, 2023. 

As it currently sits, and while there may be different interpretations on this, the remote signing measures are only to be used where there is a safety risk with an in-person meeting.  This route is not to be used for convenience purposes.  In any event, effective September 30, 2023, subject to specific approval from the Land Title Office, the remote signing option for COVID-19 reasons will not be permissible. There will also be a removal of the ability to use remote signed affidavits for Land Title Office purposes as of the same date.

Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Land Title Office permitted legal professionals to rely on true copies of supporting documents, such as death certificates, in certain applications.  This will also be removed such that the legal professional will again be required to hold the original of such documents prior to filing.

At this time, we are not aware of any planned more permanent remote signing options although certainly the measures used through the pandemic will have provide practitioners and regulators with hands on experience and hopefully some lessons learned (positive and negative).

Author: Una Kuzio

This information is general in nature only. You should consult a lawyer before acting on any of this information. This information should not be considered as legal advice. To learn more about your legal needs, please contact our office at (250)448-2637 or any of our lawyers practicing in the area of real estate at the following:

Una Kuzio: una@touchstone.law

Jane Otterstrom: jane@touchstone.law