On 11 October 2021, the Real Property Amendment (Certificates of Title) Act 2021 commenced, which abolished the Certificates of Title (CTs) and the control of the right to deal (CoRD) framework. All existing CTs have been cancelled and CTs will no longer be issued. Existing CTs will not need to be produced, and CoRD holder consent will not be required, for a dealing or plan to be registered. All existing Guidelines subject to this change are currently being reviewed and will be updated to reflect these changes. For further information regarding the abolition of CTs, please see https://www.registrargeneral.nsw.gov.au/property-and-conveyancing/eConveyancing/abolition-of-certificates-of-title

Sunset clauses

An easement may be expressly limited to operate until a certain future date, the happening of an agreed event or a breach of some condition (sunset clause).

The proprietor of the servient tenement may request cancellation of an easement, which includes a sunset clause, by lodgment of a Request form 11R (PDF 131 KB) together with relevant evidence that the sunset clause has expired. The facts are required to be proved strictly, unless they can be supported by additional evidence from the dominant tenement.

Alternatively, an easement subject to a sunset clause may be cancelled by including the easement as an item in PART 1A of a Section 88B Instrument. Reference to the easement in the schedule in the instrument should be annotated "Sunset clause invoked". Evidence (in the form of a statutory declaration) should be supplied by the surveyor of the new plan and the registered proprietor(s) stating that the event(s) specified in the sunset clause have now come to fruition.

Certificates of title for both the dominant and servient tenements must accompany the Request

In the absence of any evidence or implied agreement from the dominant tenement, the Registrar General may send notice of intention to cancel the recording of the easement unless a court order is obtained to prevent the cancellation.

Where the Registrar General is satisfied that the easement has ceased to exist the recording may be cancelled under s.32(6) Real Property Act 1900.