New ‘digital deed pack’ aims to complete circle of upfront information

The Residential Logbook Association (RLBA) has produced a first specification for a ‘Digital Deed Pack’ that can be used for any purchase.

The idea is that rather than a homeowner providing upfront information each time a property is marketed for sale, there will be a logbook for the home instead.

The pack is intended to allow integration between logbook systems and the case management systems run by conveyancers. 

Currently, 15 conveyancing companies are providing their clients with RLBA verified logbooks at the completion stage of the conveyancing process and listing them on the RLBA Register. 

These allow for both data and documents to be passed into the logbooks as they are created.

The new Digital Deed Pack specification is a refinement of the packs being used by this first cohort of conveyancers and is intended to standardise the process across RLBA logbook providers. 

This new specification consists of a data schema and a schedule of documents that has been created from research with both conveyancers from the group and their users who have recently completed a transaction.

The data schema in the specification contains a full property ID and many of the fields contained in the Buying and Selling Property Information form.

Simon Lumb, RLBA treasurer and managing director of logbook company NDD, said: “Using the data created during conveyancing to create a logbook completes the circle promised by upfront information. 

“It answers the question ‘what happens to the data at the end of the transaction?’”
 

The schedule of documents in the specification includes a ‘required’ documents list and one for the much longer list of ‘potential’ documents to be included.

Key to the initiative is a set of conventions for both document names and categorisations – so that the databases underpinning each logbook can recognise the documents by type when they are transferred from a case management system.

RLBA chairman Nigel Walley, managing director of Logbook company Chimni, added: “Most legal case management systems don’t categorise documents in their databases. 
“In the conveyancer trials to date we’ve had to include code to identify documents from their titles. 

“The specification creates a platform for case management systems and proptech companies to work together to set new standards.

“This standardising of names and categories is a key area to be refined through work with other industry bodies like the LSSA. This new standard will then be included in the RLBA’s campaign to roll out ‘completion logbooks’ across all conveyancers.”