What is a LIM or an RPIE?
A LIM is a Land Information Memoranda and a RPIE is a Residential Property Information Enquiry.
Over the last decade or so it has become the practice for local authorities, such as City Councils and District Councils, to provide various items of information about properties in a formal way; if asked to do so.
There is always a fee involved and these vary from one local authority to another. The Palmerston North City Council charge $409 for a LIM and $254 for an RPIE. The fees charged by other local authorities vary widely.
Councils maintain records about properties which are searched to prepare the LIM report. Typically, a LIM report will tell you about:
·  Rates
·  Land drainage and sewage matters
·  Building consents that have been issued
·  Whether there is a swimming pool and whether it complies with fencing requirements How the City or District Plan applies to the property, including things like the existence of an historic building or a protected tree
·  Whether there are any known fire or flooding or hazardous substances problems
·  What building consents have been applied for and granted within a radius (e.g. 100m) of the property
·  Whether there are any known earthquake risks resulting from the construction of the property
·  Any known heritage sites on the property
·  Often the Council will also supply a copy of the plan of the known stormwater and sewage drains on the property
An RPIE report provides less information than an LIM. The RPIE report will tell you about:
·  A section plan of the property taken from the Deposited plan
·  Site plan, drainage plan, floor plan
·  Age and size of buildings on the property
·  Rate information
·  Consents, certificates, notices, orders or requisitions affecting the land or buildings
·  District Plan classifications that relate to the land or buildings
An RPIE report will be issued within 5 working days while a LIM report will be issued within 10 working days.
A LIM or RPIE report does not guarantee that the property is free of problems. The records that the Councils hold are not complete inventories of information about every property.
The LIM or RPIE report however, will usually reveal a known problem and may well save you from making a mistake e.g. from buying a property that is known to flood, when that may not be at all obvious from an inspection.
The Palmerston North City Council can also provide information on a CD Rom. This information is limited to the plans and consents for the property. An hourly fee is charged for this and is believed to be around $25-$35 and the council may require you to give them at least 8 hours notice before you require this.
To more information on how to order these reports please either visit the PNCC Customer Service Centre or visit their website www.pncc.govt.nz.
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Mortgage Link Manawatu | LIM & RPIE information – current as at Dec 2012