Finding New Brunswick Property Owners

Finding out who owns a piece of land in New Brunswick is a straightforward process. The first step is to visit a local Service New Brunswick Centre or any provincial government office, where you can search for the name of the current property owner. This service is free and also available online. If this method does not work, you can look up records at the Provincial Archives, which hold records from as early as 1785, including land grants and other documents that could help identify an owner. Alternatively, you can order a New Brunswick Title Search, which will provide the names and addresses of all registered owners of a property, as well as a full legal description and a list of all registered charges, liens, and interests filed against it.

Search online or at a Service New Brunswick Centre

If you want to find out who owns a piece of land in New Brunswick, you can do so by searching online or visiting a Service New Brunswick Centre or any other provincial government office. This service is free of charge.

Online Search

To search online, you can access the Land Registry records through PLANET with a subscription. You will need to set up a client account and pay a minimum charge of $10.00 per month.

In-Person Search

If you prefer to visit a Service New Brunswick Centre in person, you can do so without setting up an online account.

Provincial Archives

If you are unable to locate the owner of the land through the methods above, you can look up records at the Provincial Archives. The Archives hold records from as early as 1785, including land grants and other documents that could help identify an owner. However, these records may not always be complete or accurate, so it is recommended to verify the information with other sources.

Check the Provincial Archives

If you are unable to find the owner of a property in New Brunswick through a local Service New Brunswick Centre or provincial government office, you can check the Provincial Archives.

The Provincial Archives contain records from as early as 1785, including land grants and other documents that could help identify an owner. The land record collection includes microfilms and originals of many important land transactions, such as land petitions and old land deeds. The Provincial Archives also have microfilms of records from the Land Registration Office, which was created to handle land sales after the initial land grant was issued by the provincial government. The old land deeds are particularly useful as they can provide names, dates, addresses, occupations, and similar information. The older deeds tend to contain more information than the more modern ones.

The Provincial Archives also have cadastral maps, which show the actual borders of each lot of land with the name of the grantee. These maps can be useful in showing the names of neighbours, the location of churches and graveyards, and so on. The Archives also have other maps and survey plans, containing information on boundaries, landforms, waterways, roads, and the growth of communities. These are indexed by category or purpose, geographical location, and name of the cartographer or surveyor. Crown land surveys are the largest and most frequently consulted group of cartographic records, with approximately 10,000 plans for the 19th and 20th centuries.

Keep in mind that the records at the Provincial Archives may not always be complete or accurate, so it is recommended to double-check with other sources before making any purchase decisions.

Request a New Brunswick Title Search

Requesting a New Brunswick Title Search

If you are looking to find out who owns a piece of land in New Brunswick, there are several methods you can use. Firstly, you can visit your local Service New Brunswick Centre or any other provincial government office. Here, you can search for free for the name of the current owner of a specific property, and this service is also available online. If this method does not yield any results, you can try looking up records at the Provincial Archives, which contain documents dating back to 1785, including land grants that could help identify the owner. However, keep in mind that these records might not always be complete or accurate, so it is recommended to verify the information with other sources.

Another option is to request a New Brunswick Title Search, which will provide the names and addresses of all registered property owners, along with a full legal description, and a list of any registered charges, liens, and interests filed against the property. Additionally, the transfer date will be included, indicating when the current owners purchased the property. To order this type of search, you will need the property's Lot, Block, and Plan numbers, which can be found on the property's Tax Notice. The results are typically delivered via email within 24 hours during regular business hours. However, it is important to note that details of registered charges like mortgages, easements, and builder's liens are not included in the standard search but can be ordered separately.

If the above methods do not provide the desired results, you may need to consider hiring a private investigator or professional researcher specializing in locating landowners in New Brunswick. This option can be more expensive and time-consuming but may be necessary if other methods fail to identify the landowner. These professionals will employ various techniques, including background checks and public records searches, to help you obtain the desired information.

Consult a private investigator or researcher

If you are unable to find the owner of a property in New Brunswick through the local Service New Brunswick Centre or Provincial Archives, you may need to hire a private investigator or professional researcher. This option can be expensive and time-consuming, but it could be worth it as a last resort.

Private investigators and researchers in New Brunswick will use various methods to find out who owns a particular piece of land. They will have access to specialist tools and databases that the average person does not, and they will know how to navigate these effectively and efficiently. They will also be able to perform background checks and public records searches to uncover information that may not be readily available through standard record searches.

When consulting a private investigator or researcher, be sure to provide them with as much information as you can about the property in question. This includes the address, any known owner information, and any other relevant details. The more information you can provide, the easier it will be for the investigator or researcher to track down the owner.

It is also important to ask the investigator or researcher about their specific process and strategies for finding property owners in New Brunswick. They should be able to provide you with a general overview of their methods and the expected timeline for completing the search. Be sure to also discuss their fees and payment expectations upfront, so there are no surprises later on.

By hiring a private investigator or researcher, you can save yourself time and effort in trying to locate a property owner on your own. While it may be costly, it can be a worthwhile investment, especially if you are looking to buy or lease the property in question.

Access the Land Registration Office

To access the Land Registration Office in New Brunswick, you can visit the Provincial Land Registration Office in person or contact them by phone, fax, or mail.

The Provincial Land Registration Office is located at 41 King Street, 2nd Floor, St. Stephen, New Brunswick, E3L 2C1. Their hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The office accepts instruments for registration from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm during the week.

If you are submitting an instrument for registration, it must be properly executed and accompanied by all relevant documents and approvals. The requirements will differ depending on whether the instrument is registered under Land Titles or the Registry of Deeds. It is recommended to consult a professional, such as a lawyer or land surveyor, to understand the specific requirements before registration.

Lawyers and land surveyors have the option to submit instruments for registration online. For information on how to submit requests electronically, you can call 1-888-621-9789 or use the online Contact Us form to avoid unnecessary travel to the Provincial Land Registration Office.

The processing time for land registration can take up to 14 business days from the date of receiving the documentation. During this time, registrants can track the status of their document and plan submissions, including the dates of receipt and their place in the queue. Before contacting the Land Registration Office for status updates, it is advised to first reach out to your lawyer or surveyor for assistance.

Frequently asked questions