Although it may seem simple at first glance, what it means to own land in Alberta can be surprisingly complex. For example, legally speaking, the word “land” means more than simply the surface of the earth. It can extend to the air above the earth and the soil below it. People who purchase land actually purchase the surface rights to land, which do not typically include the mineral rights to what lies beneath the surface. In other circumstances, land can also include any buildings or other fixtures of the land. It can even refer to “strata” or slices of space in a building, as when we buy condos.
Luckily, for most people looking to buy land in Alberta that’s already been surveyed and has a history of ownership, it’s simply a matter of submitting the correct legal documents to an Alberta Government Land Titles office (not a Registry office) located in either Calgary or Edmonton. That being said, a Registry office can help you compile the necessary documents. What Will I Need to Attain a Land Title? No one in Canada has absolute property rights over the land except for the Crown. What we have, instead, is a set of rights that can be divided, shared, or can be very close to absolute ownership by a single individual. What kind of rights you’ll be submitting to the government of Alberta will depend on your unique situation and goals. Before going straight to an Alberta Government land titles office in Calgary or Edmonton, your first step will be to do a little research on the titles you’re interested in. This is where a Registry office can help. Doing a land title search will give you official government information on a property and its history of ownership. Although these searches can be performed if you simply know the postal address of the land you’re interested in, it’s better if you have the correct legal land description of the property. A legal land description contains the meridian, range, township and any other subdivision that may apply to the property but more commonly the LINC (Land Identification Number Code), or the plan, block, and lot number will suffice. These are official terms for designating property with the government of Alberta and are important to know when attempting to find out more about purchasing a specific parcel of land. Where Can I Find Help Attaining an Alberta Land Title near Calgary? At Registry @ South Trail Crossing, we can help you start your application process with a Government land title office of Alberta. We can help you with land title searches at our offices in Calgary, provide you with certified copies of land titles, copies of condo plans, and soil capability information, amongst other things before your visit to an Alberta Government land titles office. Although the process of attaining land titles is fairly straightforward, each case usually has quirks unique to it. Contact us today at Registry @ South Trail Crossing, so we can use our expertise and resources to help guide you through the process.