Real Property And Financial Services Section

Hawaii Bar Association

Land Court Update

September 25, 2015

“Land Court”:

Judiciary Judge of the land court (The Hon. Gary

W. B. Chang) Registrar (Kathleen Hanawahine) Deputy registrar (Roy Yanagihara)

“Land Court”:

Office of the Assistant Registrar Registrar of conveyances (Nicki Ann

Thompson) = assistant registrar Deputy registrar = deputy assistant

registrar (Leslie Kobata) Administratively within the Dept. of

Land and Natural Resources, but are “subject to the general direction of the [land court] registrar . . . “ HRS §501-9

Registration:

Registration:

§501-86: “The obtaining of a decree of registration, and the entry of a certificate of title, shall be regarded as an agreement running with the land, and binding upon the applicant and all of the applicant’s successors in title, that the land shall be and forever remain registered land, and subject to this chapter, except as provided in part II. “

Registration:

§501-101 (“. . . the act of registration shall be the operative act to convey or affect the land . . . . “

§501-82 Tenure of holder of certificate of title (handout)

Transfer Certificate of Title:

Getting a feel for the landscape: Honolulu Memorial Park v. City & County of Honolulu, 50 Haw.

189, 436 P.2d 207 (1967) In re Sanborn, 57 Haw. 585, 562 P.2d 771 (1977) Packaging Products Co. v. Teruya Bros., 58 Haw. 580, 574 P.2d

524 (1978) Waikiki Malia Hotel, Inc. v. Kinkai Properties Ltd. Partnership, 75

Haw. 370, 862 P.2d 1048 (1993) (compare Act 206, 1994 Hawaii Session Laws, adding §501-82(b) and (c))

Aames Funding v. Mores, 107 Haw 95, 110 P.3d 1042 (2005) In the Matter of the Application of The Trustees Under The will

And Of The Estate of James Campbell, Deceased, 130 Haw. 183, 307 P.3d 163 (ICA 2013)

Redemption Bible College v. International Pentecostal Holiness Church, 130 Haw. 301, 309 P.3d 969 (ICA Memo Op. 2013)

Transfer Certificate of Title:

Getting a feel for the landscape: Patterson v. Rush, 34 Haw. 881 (1939) Territory v. Ala Moana Gardens, 39 Haw. 514 (1952) In Re Yamaguchi, 39 Haw. 608 (1978) City & County v. Plews, 55 Haw. 199, 516 P.2d 1259 (1973) Henmi Apartments, Inc. v. Sawyer, 3 Haw. App. 555, 655 P.2d

881 (1982) Association of Apartment Owners of Wailea Elua v. Wailea Resort

Co., Ltd., 100 Haw. 97, 58 P.3d 608 (2002) Suppa Corp. v. Association of Apartment Owners of Kahala Beach,

128 Haw. 497, 291 P.3d 395 (ICA Memo Op. 2012) Childs v. Harada, 130 Haw. 387, 311 P.3d 710 (ICA 2013)

“Land Court”:

Office of the Assistant Registrar:Nicki Ann Thompson

“Land Court”:

Petitions and working with the land court judiciary:

Mark Murakami

Deregistration:

Por. TMK (3) 5-5-019

Chapter 501, Part II: Deregisters fee time share interests

Allows deregistration of a fee interest in registered land upon the written request of the registered owner

Will be repealed effective December 31, 2016

Section 501-261 : Deregistration of fee interests:

When the TCT is updated, the Bureau will:•Record the certified TCT in the

Regular System•Record the Written Request in the

Regular System•Cancel the TCT

Voluntary deregistration issues:

§501-261(3): “. . . the state surveyor shall then be authorized to annotate the land court map or maps . . .

Voluntary deregistration issues: Can deregister an undivided interest,

even a single condominium unit

Attachment of judgment liens, and possibility of future adverse possession

May need petition for issuance of separate TCT if multiple parcels are registered on one TCT

Property description?

Thank you!