MSA Searches

Speed Meets Certainty

Property Searches

MSA National offers a comprehensive national range of land property searches through our property search functionality. Our system guides you through the process of ordering a property search with the least amount of steps and data required for entry.

Key benefits of ordering your property search with MSA National

Easy access to all State and Territory Land Registers.
We believe the speed of our system will mean you are able to obtain your property searches in a timely manner and increase efficiency.

Key features of property searches

Property Search bulk ability as well as a copy & paste option of up to 50 titles at a time with free verification of address and proprietor (NSW/VIC/QLD).
Ability to view dealings list at the time of ordering titles (NSW/VIC).
Pre-population of details for Property Searches and Certificates (NSW/VIC/QLD).
Pre-select options for commonly ordered property certificates.

Title Search

Property legislation in all states and territories is based on the Torrens principle of registration of title. Each state and territory have a central register of all land in the state (such as the NSWLRS in NSW, or Land Data in VIC) which shows the owner of the land through a title search.

MSA National has access to all of these land registries and gives you access from the one online system. The title, sometimes called a deed reference, can also include information about mortgages, covenants, caveats and easements.

MSA National has access to all National Land Registries for all your title searching needs in the one online system across the following states:

Key benefits to your business of ordering a title search with MSA National:

When ordering your title search you can verify your title particulars at no extra charge to check vendor details and property details prior to ordering.
Save your time when preparing a contract for strata properties, as the system recognises the title is for a strata plan. This means you will be provided with the option to order the Common Property Title at the same time.
Save your time by ordering and verifying up to 50 titles in one step, for multiple title searching.
Title searches available across all states, including title search NSW, title search VIC & title search QLD.

Plan Images

Land titles are based on a plan of survey, or a plan compiled from a survey, which defines the boundaries of a parcel of land at the date upon which it was registered.

When new land parcels are created (e.g. subdivision) or when all or part of an existing parcel is to be used for a specific purpose (e.g. easement or lease) a plan must be prepared, lodged and registered with your state registry. In defining new parcel boundaries, the plan creates the legal identity of the land.

Plan documents you can order with MSA National:

Deposited Plan: A plan is an image that defines the legal boundaries of the land. They record subdivisions, easements, resumption or restrictions on the land.
Strata Plan: The strata plan is a subdivision of a parcel of Real Property land into separate lots and common property.
88B: An instrument attached to a plan which upon registration creates easements, restrictions on the use of land and positive covenants.
Development Contract: Disclosure document that indicates the details of a future development
Crown plans: Are survey drawings illustrating the land boundaries and physical features of specific parcels of land and may include references to early tenures and ownership of the land. The plans date back to 1792 and earlier.
Registered Plan
Plan of Consolidation

Dealing Images

A dealing is an instrument which is registerable on a title of land. A dealing would refer to a transaction affecting the land which will be recorded on the Certificate of Title.

MSA offers the following dealings which can be searched:

Transfer
Mortgage
Caveat
Discharge of Mortgage

Company Searches

MSA presents a comprehensive company search offering, with quick links to ASIC, PPSR and AFSA Bankruptcy Searches for increased efficiency.
ASIC is Australia’s corporate, markets and financial services regulator. ASIC enforces company and financial services laws and informs the public about Australian companies to protect consumers, investors and creditors.

MSA National provides a complete range of ASIC company searches and ASIC business name searches from the ASIC Register. Conducting an ASIC search will instantly return detailed real-time information relating to a person or company, including status, directors, shareholders, addresses, and history.

With MSA National you are also able to look up the ACN number and/or ABN number and verify the search.

3x the value in a single search

Each ASIC extract you order from MSA National returns a single PDF including the below information. These additional complimentary features provide you with a more detailed picture of the company you’re searching, allowing for deeper levels of due diligence in a fraction of the time.

ASIC snapshot
View a one-page summary of key company information including ASIC data, credit score and a visual diagram of the structure.
ASIC extract
Verify the legitimacy of an entity by viewing details including company directors, secretaries, shareholders, registered office addresses, appointments of external auditors, liquidators and administrators, document details and ACN/ABN lookup.
CreditorWatch credit report
Assess the credit worthiness of the company you’re searching through a snapshot of its credit history. The credit report details risk data associated with the company including court judgments, payment defaults, insolvency notices, mercantile enquiries, credit enquiries and credit score.
REVEAL workspace
View a simple visual diagram that maps out relationships between people, companies and assets. Easily see shareholder percentages, track changes to corporate structure, filter your results and export data in various formats.
ASIC on-file reports & ASIC Alerts
Through our automated reorder detection process, we are able to establish that we hold the ASIC extract that you have searched and can provide it to you at a reduced cost, as it has been ordered through the MSA National platform.

Available ASIC Searches:

Current Company Extract - including Company Directors Search

An ASIC Company Extract is designed to help you verify the legitimacy of an entity by providing details about a company and is good for companies looking to make low-risk decisions. This can come in the form of a Current Company Extract, or a Historical Company Extract.

The ASIC company search can be orders from MSA National and the information in this extract generally includes:

Current officeholders including company directors and secretaries
Current registered office addresses and current principal place of business
Current shareholders including details of shareholdings (excluding public companies)
Appointments of external auditors, liquidators and administrators
Document details on all forms lodged with ASIC
ACN lookup
ABN lookup

PPSR Search

The PPSR is a national online register that can provide information to help limit your risk when buying personal property. The PPSR is an online noticeboard, on which: you can register a notice to show that you have rights over personal property which secure a debt or obligation that someone owes you.

MSA National provides you with full access to the PPSR. You will be able to complete searches on:

Organisational Grantors
Secured Party Groups (SPGs)
Serial Number Searches
Combined ASIC and PPSR reports
And more

Our helpful FAQs page provides information on the PPSR.

Types of PPSR Searches Available

Organisational Grantor search – identify whether an organisation has any registrations over their personal property.
Individual Grantor search – identify whether an individual has any registrations over their personal property
Serial Number search – identify registrations for
- Motor Vehicle using a VIN number check
- Watercraft
- Aircraft
- Intellectual Property
Registration search – allows users to enter a specific registration number and retrieve its details
Ordinal search – allows users to determine the order of any two specified registration events. A registration event is something has a change number allocated to it, or is an expiry date.

Key features of PPSR Searches

PPSR bulk order functionality with auto verification of ACN, ABN & Name.
Auto settings to group orders into a single email.
Auto issue email of specific PPSR results eg. Summary, Certificates and Attachments, or selected results.
Flexible delivery options from home page of PPSR results list – Summary, Certificates, Excel options.
Re-issue results options anytime at no extra cost– Certificates, Summary, Excel.
Verification and auto match of Name/ACN/ABN.
Ability to export your PPSR Search to excel format tosort and manage results.
Search three PPSR criteria at once including ASIC Company Search.

Secured Party Groups (SPGs)

MSA National gives clients the ability to create a secured party group, manage PPSR registrations.

A secured party group is the individual or organisation who holds a security interest in personal property (PPSR). A secured party group is a system construct used by the PPSR to help secured parties manage their registrations.

The SPG can have any combination of individual or organisation secured parties.

ASIC & PPSR Combined Report

When ordering an ASIC Search from MSA National, you have the option of including a PPSR Search which will return a Combined Report along with your ASIC and PPSR results in one PDF. The Combined Report uses smart technology to collate data from your ASIC and PPSR Search results and highlight areas of potential risk.

The Combined Report includes ASIC & PPSR results along with the following:

Summary of ASIC & PPSR Data

A colour-coded summary of your search information which highlights areas of risk and allows for easier and faster consumption of ASIC & PPSR data.

CreditorWatch Credit Report

A snapshot of the company’s credit history details risk data including court judgments, payment defaults, insolvency notices, mercantile enquires, credit enquiries and credit score.

**The following is to be inserted as per the comment above re: Vin numbers

Vehicle VIN number check

Before you buy a second-hand motor vehicle you should check that there are no existing security interests on it by searching the PPSR and performing a VIN check. If a security interest has been registered against the vehicle, it may not be debt-free and may be repossessed, even after you have bought it.

Make sure you search the PPSR on the day, or the day before, you intend to make your purchase, to ensure it is:

free from debt
safe from repossession
not reported written off
not reported stolen.

A VIN check is also sometimes referred to as a REVS Check in particular states.

You can perform a vehicle check in the following states:

Why run a vehicle VIN check?
Knowing the history of a used car is important before you buy. It can save you time and money down the track and removes any uneasiness in the purchase cycle. The vehicle history report will show past ownership, liens on the vehicle, title and accident history amongst other things.

Where can I find the VIN?
Common places to find the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN):

Front of the engine block
Passenger side interior windshield
Passenger side door jam
Front end of frame
Your VIN can be found in your registration and insurance documents
The VIN is exactly 17 characters in length
The letters ‘I’, ‘O’ and ‘Q’ never appear in a VIN

PPSR FAQs

What Is PPSR?

The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) provides a single system where all registrations of security interests in personal property have been combined to create a comprehensive, publicly accessible database. This database has been created so it is possible to view security interests registered against specified collateral. It is available to the public and can be used by consumers, businesses and the finance industry, as well as by those who sell collateral on consignment or credit.

The new PPS Register was introduced nationwide in January 2012, providing a streamlined service that is easily accessible to both businesses and consumers. The initiative behind incorporating registers into one national database is to provide fast, accurate information on registered personal property in Australia, instantly allowing the public to see whether there is security interest registered against it. The register also aims to assist in increasing the availability of finance, and to reduce possible additional costs that can be associated when making insufficiently informed decisions on purchases.

Those who use the PPSR are purchasers, interested parties, or secured parties (those who have registered their interest against the personal property). To understand the functions of the PPSR fully, it is important to know the basic concepts involved.

What is defined personal property?

Any form of possession, not including land. It must be possible for this “personal property” to be transferred ownership from one party or individual to another. For example, this includes tangible or physical items such as cars, boats, art, shares, livestock, but also in tangible concepts such as intellectual property or licensed rights.

What is a secured party?

A secured party is any entity that has interest in collateral. Basically, this means that the specified party has an interest in seeing that the total value of the collateral is paid in full to the provider of the collateral. These parties use the PPSR to register the value and information related to their collateral for public use, and to protect themselves against loss. The secured party could be an individual or a company.

Why register your clients on PPSR?

Imagine the PPSR as a noticeboard of security interests. By registering client security interests there are several advantages. Firstly, a priority ranking can be established between registrations made against the collateral, and secondly in cases of liquidation or bankruptcy, the registration of interests confirm who is entitled to be compensated first. Being able to register your client’s security interests is a valuable service, as it can help protect them from potential financial loss.

Central to the creation of the PPSR is the intention to improve levels of debt protection, both for individuals, and for organisations who have an interest in secured personal property, as well as being for those who are involved in potential transactions related to collateral. As the sole source of national information on personal property, the register aims to eliminate any uncertainties around validity of the search results, as it is committed to supplying the most current information possible.

When did the transitional period provided under the PPSR end?

The final transitional period provided under the Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (Cth) (PPSA) is closed. This ‘period of grace’ provided time for users to update migrated registrations to meet the requirements of the PPSR. The transition period ended on 30 January 2017 for registrations that were migrated without an end date.