Real Property Act 1900

Any person who, by virtue of any unregistered dealing or by devolution of law or otherwise, claims to be entitled to a legal or equitable estate or interest in land under the provisions of this Act may lodge with the Registrar-General a caveat prohibiting the recording of any dealing affecting the estate or interest to which the person claims to be entitled.

Any registered proprietor of an estate or interest who fears an improper dealing with the estate or interest by another person may lodge with the Registrar-General a caveat prohibiting the recording of any dealing affecting the estate or interest.

Any person who claims to be entitled to a legal or equitable estate or interest in land that is or may become the subject of a possessory application may, at any time before such an application is granted, lodge with the Registrar-General a caveat prohibiting the Registrar-General from granting such an application.

Any person who claims to be entitled to a legal or equitable estate or interest in land that is the subject of a delimitation plan lodged for registration under section 28V may, at any time before the plan is registered, lodge with the Registrar-General a caveat prohibiting the registration of the delimitation plan.

Any person who claims to be entitled to any legal or equitable interest in an easement the recording of which is the subject of an application for cancellation under section 49 may, at any time before the application is granted, lodge with the Registrar-General a caveat prohibiting the Registrar-General from granting the application.

Any of the following persons may lodge with the Registrar-General a caveat prohibiting the Registrar-General from granting an application to extinguish a restrictive covenant—

a person who has a registered interest in the land to which the benefit of the restrictive covenant is appurtenant,

a person who claims to be entitled to an equitable estate or interest in that land,

a person who is recorded in the Register as having the right to release, vary or modify the restrictive covenant,

a person who is recorded in the Register as a person whose consent is required to a release, variation or modification of the restrictive covenant.

A caveat may be lodged under subsection (4B) whether or not the restrictive covenant is already the subject of an application for extinguishment under Part 8A. However, if such an application has been made and a notice in relation to the application has been given under section 81D then, to be effective, the caveat may only be lodged before the end of the period specified in the notice.

A caveat lodged under this section must—

be in the approved form, and

specify the following—

the name of the caveator,

an address for the caveator,

an address at which notices may be served on the caveator,

unless the Registrar-General dispenses with those particulars—the name and address of the registered proprietor concerned,

the prescribed particulars of the legal or equitable estate or interest, or the right arising out of a restrictive covenant, to which the caveator claims to be entitled,

the current reference allocated by the Registrar-General to the folio of the Register, or, as the case may be, the lease, mortgage or charge, to which the caveat relates,

where the caveat relates only to part of the land described in a folio of the Register or a current lease—a description of that part in the form or manner prescribed, and

(Repealed)

be verified by statutory declaration or, in the case of a caveat lodged electronically, be verified in a way approved by the Registrar-General, and

be signed by the caveator or by a solicitor or other agent of the caveator.

The address provided under subsection (5)(b)(iii) for the service of notices must—

be an address in Australia, or

if the regulations provide that notices under this section may be served electronically—comply with requirements prescribed by the regulations.

On the lodgment of a caveat under subsection (1), the Registrar-General must give notice in writing of the lodgment of the caveat to the registered proprietor of the estate or interest affected by the caveat by—

sending the notice in the approved way to the address of the registered proprietor specified in the caveat, or

giving the notice in such other manner, whether by advertisement or otherwise, as the Registrar-General considers appropriate.

In subsection (6), a reference to the registered proprietor in relation to an estate or interest referred to in that subsection includes a reference to a person who claims to be entitled to such an estate or interest under a dealing lodged in the office of the Registrar-General for recording in the Register.

On the lodgment of a caveat under subsection (3), the Registrar-General shall, if a possessory application referred to in that subsection has been lodged in the office of the Registrar-General, give notice in writing of the lodgment of the caveat to the possessory applicant concerned.

On the lodgment of a caveat under subsection (4), the Registrar-General shall give notice in writing of the lodgment of the caveat to the registered proprietor of the estate or interest affected by the caveat.

On the lodgment of a caveat under subsection (4A) in relation to an easement, the Registrar-General must, if an application for cancellation of the recording of the easement has been lodged in the office of the Registrar-General, give notice in writing of the lodgment of the caveat to the applicant concerned.

On the lodgment of a caveat under subsection (4B) in relation to a restrictive covenant, the Registrar-General must, if an application for extinguishment of the restrictive covenant has been lodged in the office of the Registrar-General, or is later lodged, give notice in writing of the lodgment of the caveat to the applicant concerned.