Register a judgment in the Personal Property Registry

Individuals and businesses that hold a judgment can register the judgment against personal property (any property other than land) in the Personal Property Registry. Registering a judgment establishes the secured party’s rights to the secured property.

Personal property

Personal property includes any property other than land. Personal property is considered movable property (property that can be moved from one location to another).

You can’t register a judgment against real property (land, real estate and immovable property) in the Personal Property Registry. If you need to register a judgment against real property, visit Land Registry.

Notice of Judgment

By registering a Notice of Judgment, a judgment creditor (individual or business who is owed money) notifies the public of a security interest (lien) they have in personal property. There may already be other registered judgments with a security interest (lien) in the personal property. Registering a judgment helps establish your priority in relation to other creditors.

Length of registration

You can register a judgment in the Personal Property Registry for a period of 1 year to 20 years from the date the judgment was issued. When registering, consider the length of time you need the judgment to be registered for.

Registration expiry

As the judgment creditor (individual or business who is owed money or the return of goods), you need to keep track of when the registration expires. You can renew or re-register to extend the length of the registration at any time before the registration expires or within 30 days of the expiry.

If you don’t renew or re-register within 30 days of the expiry, you lose your priority over other creditors. You also have to pay the initial registration fee again, as well as the yearly fee.

If the sheriff has been asked to garnish wages (take money out of each paycheck) from the judgment debtor (individual or enterprise that owes money or goods), the registration needs to be at least for the same number of years as the repayment period. For example, if it takes 5 years to pay the outstanding money owed, you need to register the judgment for at least 5 years.

You need to print the Verification Statement from the Personal Property Registry and give it to the sheriff to prove that the judgment has been registered in the Personal Property Registry.

ACOL account

You need to have an ACOL client or judgment creditor account to register a judgment in the Personal Property Registry.

Private service providers

If you’re unsure how to register a judgment, there are organizations that can help you with the registration or perform a search within the Personal Property Registry. Many law firms and search houses can register a judgment on your behalf for an additional fee. ACOL also provides a list of private service providers to help you identify organizations that can help with the registration or search process.

Eligibility

Individuals and businesses that hold a judgment and want to establish their rights to the secured property or have their judgment enforced need to register the judgment in the Personal Property Registry.

You need to register after you’ve gone to court and received a judgment.

How to register

1. Review the rules and procedures outlined in the Personal Property Security Act General Regulations (including how to enter your information in the Personal Property Registry). Sections 19, 20 and 21 outline the rules for entering debtor information.
2. Complete the registration form online, including the length of registration.
3. Submit your completed registration and payment.
4. The Personal Property Registry confirms your registration with a Verification Statement. Keep a copy of the Verification Statement for your records.
5. Take a copy of the Verification Statement to the sheriff, if required.

How long it takes

You should get the Verification Statement right away.

Cost

Registration fees include an initial registration fee and a fee for each year of registration.

Activity	Fee
Initial registration (doesn’t include fee for each year of registration)	$26.50
Each year	$9.25

See all fees for the Personal Property Registry.

Payment options

Payment options vary depending on your type of ACOL account. If you have a judgment creditor account, you need to pay by Visa, MasterCard or American Express. If you have a client account, you need to deposit funds into your account before you make a registration payment (your account balance needs to be more than the cost of the registration or you won’t be able to complete the payment).

Before you start

Make sure you:

• understand the rules and procedures in the Personal Property Security Act General Regulations that you need to follow when registering a judgment in the Personal Property Registry
• have the court order or Certificate of Judgment (includes information required for the registration process)
• create an ACOL client or judgment creditor account or have your username and password (you get these when you create your ACOL account)
• have an ACOL account balance of more than the cost of the registration if you have an ACOL client account
• have a credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express) if you have an ACOL judgment creditor account
• have Adobe Reader or other software to read the Verification Statement (PDF format)

Register online

Start now

Create an ACOL account

Other ways to register

You can hire a private service provider to register a judgment on your behalf if you’re unable to register the judgment online or don’t have an ACOL client or judgment creditor account.

You can also use a public access terminal at Land Registry to register a judgment. Bring the original court order or Certificate of Judgment and 2 pieces of identification with you (1 needs to be a Driver’s Licence, passport, Health Card or Birth Certificate). You need to complete the registration yourself. Land Registry can’t help you with the registration process.

Renewal

You need to renew or re-register within 30 days of the expiry of your registration. It’s your responsibility to renew on time.