APPENDIX 3: How to Do Research at the Land Registry Office
This guide will help you understand the basic rules for doing research at the Land Registry Office on Etobicoke.
LEGAL ADDRESS
To research a specific property, you first need to obtain its actual “legal address”. If you are researching your own property, all you need to do is look at your property tax bill and write down the information that appears near the top of page 1 beside “Legal Description."
If you are researching property that is not yours, you can find the legal address information at the Etobicoke Civic Centre (399 The West Mall). A computer that accesses the Toronto Property Tax Assessment System is set up here for public use. You simply type in the specific address you are looking for, and then look for the box entitled “Legal Description”.
This computer is in the City Clerk’s Office on the first floor of the Civic Centre. From inside the main front door, turn right, walk to the very end of the hall, turn right again, and walk until you see the City Clerk sign. There’s a counter with chairs on your left in the hallway with the computer at one end. Enter the address you’re looking for and then hit Search. When you find the page you want, you can print it for a $1.00 fee or just record the information on a piece of paper.
A legal address will look something like the following examples: Conc I, Lot 16, ND FTL; Conc 2, Lot 15 FTH; Conc 1, Lot 9 BF FTL; RP 66R17310 Part 2 Lot 68; Plan 28, Lot 4. Copy down the information very carefully, including all spaces. (Conc = Concession; ND = North Division; FTL = Fronting The Lake; FTH = Fronting the Humber; BF = Broken Front; RP = Registered Plan.)
Also record other details in case you need them in future, e.g. owners’ names, tenant names, owner contact information, lot dimensions/area, year built (often incorrect with very old properties, but might give you a clue), etc.
If the message “No legal description – invalid property code” appears, this is usually because the owner has a tenant, and the tenant is highlighted in the system instead of the owner. Simply use the arrows to move the highlighter to an owner and all of the required information will come up. If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask someone behind the counter.
If the Legal Description does not include both a lot and a concession number, it will help your search considerably if you can find the original (18th-19th century) surveyed lot and concession numbers. The best source for this information is the map of Etobicoke found in the 1878 York County Atlas on-line by CLICKING HERE.
When you get there, click on “MAPS” and then “York County 22” (at the right side.) Then click on “Etobicoke” in the bottom left corner of the map, and then click “To view a larger version of this map click here.” Click on the area of the map of Etobicoke that interests you to see a closer view.
LAND REGISTRY OFFICE
Once you have the legal address, including original lot and concession number, go to the Toronto Land Registry Office where you can find the complete ownership history of the property, right back to the original land grant. This office is located at 20 Dundas St. W. (Atrium-on-Bay building), 4th floor. Hours are 9:30 am - 4:30 pm, Mon to Fri. Phone 416-314-4400. Find a person at the Customer Service desk and explain that you’ve never been there before and would like to learn how to find the records for a property. Explain that you already have the property’s legal address. They will show you where to find the Etobicoke reference book that will enable you to find which microfilm reel has the records you need.
Some of the microfilm readers also allow you to print any pages you want to keep for 50¢/page. When you’re ready to make copies, go to the Customer Service desk and they will give you a card to make the printer function work. It also tracks how many copies you’ve made so you can pay for them after you've finished printing.
*See the pages below on how to interpret information in Land Registry records, including a sample of the first two pages from an actual Etobicoke heritage property (Ward Farm at 3904 Bloor St. W.
Many properties have multiple changes in legal address under various different plan numbers over the years. If you’re interested in the entire history of a property from original land grant to now, start with the oldest records using the lot and concession number and move forward in time. If you’re only interested in more modern history, start with the current legal address and go backwards in time. You need to follow what the records tell you, and as areas developed, part of a lot may end up within a different plan number, so you’ll then need to find the microfilm for the new plan. Ultimately you may end up searching through several different plan and file numbers to find the entire history of any one property.
For every plan number that you find for the property, the registry office should also have a physical copy of the plan drawing in their files. Ask for help finding the Etobicoke maps the first time. These plans often provide useful information that is not in the other registry records and give you a visual feel for what the property looked like, e.g. it may show buildings, owner names, etc. These plan can be quite large, but you can make a copy made for $5.00 each.
A magnifying glass would be a useful tool to take with you as some records can be a challenge to read.
Using land records can be quite complicated, so don’t be afraid to ask for help if you get stuck!
Below are the first two pages of the Land Registry records for Lot 17, Concession 1 (or Cross), Northern Division Fronting the Lake. that was the original legal address for the property now at 3904 Bloor St. W. Right after those two pages is an explanation of each column in the land records.
LEGAL ADDRESS
To research a specific property, you first need to obtain its actual “legal address”. If you are researching your own property, all you need to do is look at your property tax bill and write down the information that appears near the top of page 1 beside “Legal Description."
If you are researching property that is not yours, you can find the legal address information at the Etobicoke Civic Centre (399 The West Mall). A computer that accesses the Toronto Property Tax Assessment System is set up here for public use. You simply type in the specific address you are looking for, and then look for the box entitled “Legal Description”.
This computer is in the City Clerk’s Office on the first floor of the Civic Centre. From inside the main front door, turn right, walk to the very end of the hall, turn right again, and walk until you see the City Clerk sign. There’s a counter with chairs on your left in the hallway with the computer at one end. Enter the address you’re looking for and then hit Search. When you find the page you want, you can print it for a $1.00 fee or just record the information on a piece of paper.
A legal address will look something like the following examples: Conc I, Lot 16, ND FTL; Conc 2, Lot 15 FTH; Conc 1, Lot 9 BF FTL; RP 66R17310 Part 2 Lot 68; Plan 28, Lot 4. Copy down the information very carefully, including all spaces. (Conc = Concession; ND = North Division; FTL = Fronting The Lake; FTH = Fronting the Humber; BF = Broken Front; RP = Registered Plan.)
Also record other details in case you need them in future, e.g. owners’ names, tenant names, owner contact information, lot dimensions/area, year built (often incorrect with very old properties, but might give you a clue), etc.
If the message “No legal description – invalid property code” appears, this is usually because the owner has a tenant, and the tenant is highlighted in the system instead of the owner. Simply use the arrows to move the highlighter to an owner and all of the required information will come up. If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask someone behind the counter.
If the Legal Description does not include both a lot and a concession number, it will help your search considerably if you can find the original (18th-19th century) surveyed lot and concession numbers. The best source for this information is the map of Etobicoke found in the 1878 York County Atlas on-line by CLICKING HERE.
When you get there, click on “MAPS” and then “York County 22” (at the right side.) Then click on “Etobicoke” in the bottom left corner of the map, and then click “To view a larger version of this map click here.” Click on the area of the map of Etobicoke that interests you to see a closer view.
LAND REGISTRY OFFICE
Once you have the legal address, including original lot and concession number, go to the Toronto Land Registry Office where you can find the complete ownership history of the property, right back to the original land grant. This office is located at 20 Dundas St. W. (Atrium-on-Bay building), 4th floor. Hours are 9:30 am - 4:30 pm, Mon to Fri. Phone 416-314-4400. Find a person at the Customer Service desk and explain that you’ve never been there before and would like to learn how to find the records for a property. Explain that you already have the property’s legal address. They will show you where to find the Etobicoke reference book that will enable you to find which microfilm reel has the records you need.
Some of the microfilm readers also allow you to print any pages you want to keep for 50¢/page. When you’re ready to make copies, go to the Customer Service desk and they will give you a card to make the printer function work. It also tracks how many copies you’ve made so you can pay for them after you've finished printing.
*See the pages below on how to interpret information in Land Registry records, including a sample of the first two pages from an actual Etobicoke heritage property (Ward Farm at 3904 Bloor St. W.
Many properties have multiple changes in legal address under various different plan numbers over the years. If you’re interested in the entire history of a property from original land grant to now, start with the oldest records using the lot and concession number and move forward in time. If you’re only interested in more modern history, start with the current legal address and go backwards in time. You need to follow what the records tell you, and as areas developed, part of a lot may end up within a different plan number, so you’ll then need to find the microfilm for the new plan. Ultimately you may end up searching through several different plan and file numbers to find the entire history of any one property.
For every plan number that you find for the property, the registry office should also have a physical copy of the plan drawing in their files. Ask for help finding the Etobicoke maps the first time. These plans often provide useful information that is not in the other registry records and give you a visual feel for what the property looked like, e.g. it may show buildings, owner names, etc. These plan can be quite large, but you can make a copy made for $5.00 each.
A magnifying glass would be a useful tool to take with you as some records can be a challenge to read.
Using land records can be quite complicated, so don’t be afraid to ask for help if you get stuck!
Below are the first two pages of the Land Registry records for Lot 17, Concession 1 (or Cross), Northern Division Fronting the Lake. that was the original legal address for the property now at 3904 Bloor St. W. Right after those two pages is an explanation of each column in the land records.
SAMPLE LAND REGISTRY RECORD – 3904 BLOOR ST. W. – PAGE 1
SAMPLE LAND REGISTRY RECORD – 3904 BLOOR ST. W. – PAGE 2
For guidance on using the above in your research, refer also to the Etobicoke Historical Society's GUIDE: How to Research Etobicoke History.