Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the few jurisdictions left in the country that has a land registration system instead of a lands title system, and that’s problematic according to Auditor General Denise Hanrahan.

The AG found a host of outdated policies during a recent audit of the administration of Crown Lands in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Key among them was the fact that the province does not have a land title system that puts the onus on the Crown, whereas under the current land registration system, the onus is on the individual to determine a valid title.

NL is one of the last provinces in the country to have that type of system, along with Quebec and PEI.

“The issue with our land registration system,” says Hanrahan, “is that it’s not mandatory.”

That means there are gaps in the records, according to Hanrahan.