Curia Contract Review automatically extracts and analyses Dealings from title search documents to identify property encumbrances and restrictions. The system categorises each Dealing, extracts relevant details from underlying documents, and provides tailored recommendations based on your requirements.

How does Dealing extraction work?

When you upload a contract with title searches, the system automatically:

• Identifies all Dealings listed in the second schedule of each title search.
• Categorises each Dealing into one of over 40 standard categories.
• Extracts Dealing numbers and identifies related Dealings.
• Enriches important Dealing types with specific details from the Dealing documents (enrichment means the system automatically extracts specific information like exact easement locations or covenant obligations from the actual dealing documents, rather than using generic descriptions).
• Applies your account's default visibility settings.

Draft dealings in Off the plan contracts

Off the plan (unregistered) contracts contain draft dealings instead of registered dealings. These are extracted from Section 88B instruments included in the contract and represent dealings that may take affect when the plan is registered.

How draft dealings differ from registered dealings

For more information about off the plan contracts, see Using Curia for Off The Plan contracts.

What Dealing categories are available?

Each Dealing is automatically categorised based on its title and type. Categories include common property encumbrances such as easements, covenants, mortgages, and restrictions on use.

To see all available categories and customise their settings, visit your account's Dealing library.

Standard categories

Most Dealing categories use content that describes the general nature and impact of the Dealing. These include mortgages, caveats, administrative notices, change of name records, title limitations, and many others.

Enriched categories

Certain Dealing types are automatically enriched with specific information extracted from the underlying Dealing documents. "Enriched" means the system reads the actual dealing document and pulls out specific details (like the exact location of an easement, specific covenant obligations, or precise restrictions) rather than using generic template text. This provides more detailed and accurate descriptions of how the Dealing affects the specific property.

Enriched categories include:

• Easements: Location, purpose, and rights granted
• Covenants (Positive and Negative): Specific obligations and restrictions
• Rights of Carriageway: Access routes and usage rights
• Rights of Footway: Pedestrian access details
• Planning Agreements: Development conditions and contributions
• Restrictions on Use: Specific limitations on property use
• Notice of Acquisition: Government acquisition details
• Profit à Prendre: Resource extraction rights
• And several others

Enriched Dealings display an "Enriched" badge next to their category name in the review interface.

What are prescribed documents and warnings?

The system alerts you when Dealings mentioned in title searches cannot be found in the contract documents. This is particularly important for prescribed documents that must be legally disclosed.

When do warnings appear?

Warning messages are displayed when:

• A Dealing listed in the title search is not found in the contract.
• Related Dealings (indicated by "SEE" references) are missing.
• The Dealing category is marked as prescribed (legally required).
  

What automatic amendments or recommendations appear when a Dealing document is missing?

If the Dealing category is marked as prescribed and the Dealing document is missing from the contract, then an automatic amendment and recommendation will be added.

What's the difference between prescribed and non-prescribed Dealings?

Prescribed Dealings must be disclosed in the contract. Examples include easements, covenants, and restrictions on use, among others.

Non-prescribed Dealings do not generate warnings when missing. Examples include mortgages and caveats, which are typically discharged on settlement.

How do I manage Dealing visibility?

You can control which Dealings appear in your reports through visibility settings at both the account and review levels.

Individual Dealing controls

Each Dealing has a visibility toggle that allows you to:

• Show or hide the Dealing in the current review.
• Override your account's default settings.
• Customise the report content for specific client needs.
  

Bulk visibility controls

Each title search section includes a master toggle to show or hide all Dealings for that specific title search at once. When some Dealings are visible and others hidden, clicking "Show all" makes all Dealings visible for that title search.

What are related Dealings?

Related Dealings are cross-references found within Dealing titles, typically indicated by "SEE" followed by another Dealing number. These provide additional information about the primary Dealing.

Key points about related Dealings:

• They inherit the warning behaviour of the main Dealing.
• Both main and related Dealings must be present for full enrichment to succeed.
• Missing related Dealings trigger warnings for prescribed categories.

Why might Dealings not be extracted or enriched?

Dealings may not be fully processed when:

• Documents are missing: The Dealing document is not included in the contract.
• Documents cannot be read: Poor quality scans, skewed pages, or obscured text prevent accurate extraction.

For more information about document quality requirements, see this article.

How do I delete a Dealing?

1. Locate the Dealing you'd like to delete
   
2. Click the red Trash icon on the Dealing card
   
3. Click "Confirm" to confirm the deletion

Custom Dealings

Custom Dealings allow you to manually add dealings that aren't automatically detected or categorised by the system. These are particularly useful for unique or uncommon property interests specific to your region or transaction type.

When to use custom Dealings

You might create a custom Dealing when you encounter:

• Unique local government charges or levies - For example, a special infrastructure contribution levy that only applies in certain council areas
• Heritage or conservation agreements - Such as a heritage listing agreement that isn't captured by standard categories
• Regional-specific encumbrances - Dealings that are common in your area but not recognised by the standard categories

How custom Dealings work

Custom Dealings differ from automatically detected Dealings in several important ways:

• They are not automatically extracted or enriched - Unlike standard dealings, custom Dealings won't have details pulled from documents automatically. You manually enter all the information about the dealing, including its description and any relevant details.
• They are stored in the centralised account library - Custom dealings become part of your organisation's Dealing library, accessible to all staff members across all reviews in your account. This ensures consistency when the same custom dealing appears in multiple reviews.
• They can be edited or removed from the library - Changes to custom dealings in your account library take effect for future reviews only. Existing reviews retain their version of the custom dealing at the time it was added.
• They do not generate warnings if missing from contracts - Since custom dealings are manually added rather than detected, the system assumes you're adding them for a specific purpose and won't warn if the dealing document isn't found in the contract.

Managing custom Dealings

To add a custom Dealing:

• Click "Add new entry" at the bottom of the Dealings field
• Select from your existing custom dealings library or create a new one
• Enter the dealing details including number, description, and any relevant information
• Save to your library for future use across all reviews
  

What are notations and unregistered Dealings?

Notations

Notations are administrative records or historical references that appear on title searches but don't create current rights or obligations. They are extracted from the title search documents and appear separate to Dealing fields.

Example of a notation: "PRIOR CERTIFICATE OF TITLE 5/1234567 (CANCELLED)" - This indicates a previous title that has been superseded but provides historical context for the property's ownership chain.

Notations can be:

• Automatically extracted from documents
• Manually added or edited
• Customised with specific report content

Unregistered Dealings

Unregistered Dealings are agreements or instruments that affect the property but haven't yet been registered on the title. These are extracted from the title search documents and appear separate to Dealing fields. These typically represent pending registrations or informal arrangements that may still impact the property.

Example of an unregistered dealing: "UNREGISTERED LEASE AF123456" - This indicates a lease agreement that has been lodged for registration but hasn't been formally registered on the title yet. The lease still affects the property even though registration is pending.

Troubleshooting common issues

Dealing not found warnings

If you see warnings about missing Dealings:

• Check that the Dealing document exists in the contract - it may have been misread.
• Search the contract manually for the Dealing number.
• If the document exists but wasn't detected, you can safely ignore the warning.

Incorrect categorisation

If a Dealing is incorrectly categorised:

• Toggle OFF the incorrectly categorised Dealing.
• Add a custom Dealing from your library with the correct category.
• Reorder the list if desired by dragging Dealing items.
• Customise the content to match your requirements.

Best practices

• Review all extracted Dealings: Verify the system has correctly identified and categorised each Dealing.
• Check enriched content: Ensure extracted details match the description of the Dealing.
• Address warnings promptly: Missing prescribed documents may affect contract validity.
• Customise for clients: Adjust visibility and content based on specific client needs.
• Maintain your library: Keep custom Dealings and settings updated for consistency.