Privacy Policy

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NEW VOGUE CONVEYANCING

1. About this Privacy Policy

New Vogue Conveyancing respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal information in alawful, fair, secure and transparent way. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use, disclose, protect and manage personal information inconnection with our conveyancing services. This policy is intended to align with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and our Professional Standards.

2. Who we are

New Vogue Conveyancing provides conveyancing services in Victoria, Australia and is Licensed in Tasmania.

Business name: New Vogue Conveyancing ABN 288 650 292 18

Email: office@nvconvey.com.au

Phone: (03) 9737 6641

Address: Main Office: Suite 5, 174 Main Street, Croydon VIC 3136

Privacy contact: Angela Christiansen - Director/Owner

3. What personal information we collect

The personal information we collect depends on the matter, the services we provide, and our legal andprofessional obligations.

We may collect personal information such as:

• your name, address, date of birth and contact details;
• identity verification documents, such as passport, driver licence, Medicare card or otheridentification documents;
• property details, including sale, purchase, transfer, mortgage, title, owners corporation and planninginformation;
• financial information, including bank account details, loan details, source of funds information,statement adjustments, settlement figures and trust or payment information;
• information about your spouse, partner, attorney, company, trust, beneficiaries, guarantors,executors, administrators or other parties relevant to the transaction;
• information required for State Revenue Office, Land Use Victoria, Australian Taxation Office, council, water authority, owners corporation, broker, agent, lender or other transaction-related requirements;
• information about concessions, exemptions, nominations, foreign purchaser status, principal place of residence, investment use, residency or other matters relevant to duties, tax or property law obligations;
• copies of correspondence, file notes, instructions, forms, contracts, authorities and signed documents;
• call recordings and information provided during telephone calls;
• technical information when you use our website or communicate with us electronically, such as IP address, browser type, device information and website usage data.
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In some matters, we may collect sensitive information where it is reasonably necessary for the services we provide or required by law. This may include information relating to health, capacity, family circumstances, marital status, residency or other legally relevant circumstances.

We will only collect sensitive information where permitted by law, including where you consent or where collection is otherwise authorised.

4. How we collect personal information

We usually collect personal information directly from you.

We may collect personal information when you:

• contact us by telephone, email, online form, website, client portal or in person; provide instructions or documents to us;
• sign contracts, authorities, declarations, forms or other conveyancing documents;
• complete identity verification or client onboarding processes; make payments or provide account details;
• communicate with us or with other parties involved in your matter.

We may also collect personal information from third parties where necessary for your matter, including:

• real estate agents;
• mortgage brokers and lenders;
• solicitors and conveyancers acting for other parties;
• PEXA, SPEAR and other electronic lodgement or settlement platforms;
• identity verification providers;
• government agencies, including Land Use Victoria, the State Revenue Office, the Australian Taxation Office, councils and water authorities, owners corporations and owners corporation managers;
• accountants, financial advisers, attorneys, executors, administrators, company officers or other authorised representatives;
• publicly available registers, searches and databases;
• your nominated contacts or representatives.

We may collect information by email, telephone, online forms, client portals, in-person meetings, identityverification processes, contracts, authorities, searches, settlement platforms and other documents used inconveyancing transactions.

We may also collect personal information during telephone calls, including through call recordings madeusing our telephone system.

5. Call recordings

We use VXT as our telephone system. Incoming telephone calls may be recorded for the purpose of accurately recording client instructions, preparing file notes, maintaining our matter records, qualityassurance, training, risk management and compliance.

Call recordings may contain personal information, including information about your conveyancing matter, identity, property, financial arrangements, instructions and other transaction-related details.

We will handle call recordings in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Call recordings are not and will not be used, shared, published or distributed for any unrelated purpose without your knowledge or consent, unless required or permitted by law.

Access to call recordings is limited to authorised personnel who require access for legitimate business, file management, compliance or dispute resolution purposes. We take reasonable steps to store call recordings securely and to protect them from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

6. Why we collect, use and disclose personal information

We collect, use and disclose personal information for purposes connected with our conveyancing services,including to:

• open, manage and complete conveyancing files;
• verify your identity and authority to act;
• prepare, review, sign, lodge and exchange conveyancing documents;
• communicate with you and other parties involved in your matter;
• conduct property, title, planning, council, water, owners corporation and other searches;
• calculate adjustments, duties, fees, outgoings and settlement amounts;
• facilitate electronic settlement and lodgement through platforms such as PEXA or SPEAR;
• comply with lender, government, registry, tax, duties, revenue, electronic conveyancing and professional obligations;
• manage trust money, payments, refunds and account details;
• prepare file notes and maintain accurate matter records;
• respond to enquiries, complaints, access requests and correction requests;
• maintain our business records, file management systems and compliance processes;
• manage risk, insurance, audits, cybersecurity and professional indemnity requirements;
• comply with applicable laws, court or tribunal orders, regulatory requirements and lawful requests.

We may also use your contact details to send you administrative updates or information relevant to yourmatter.

We do not sell or trade client data or your personal information.

7. What happens if you do not provide information

If you do not provide information we reasonably require, we may not be able to:

verify your identity;

• act for you;
• complete your transaction;
• comply with legal, regulatory, lender or electronic conveyancing requirements;
• lodge documents or complete settlement;
• provide accurate advice or services.
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In some cases, even if we have already commenced acting, we may need to stop acting if required information is not provided.

8. Disclosure of personal information

We may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary for your matter or our businessoperations, including to:

• the other party’s solicitor or conveyancer;
• real estate agents;
• lenders, mortgage brokers and financial institutions;
• PEXA, SPEAR and other electronic lodgement or settlement platforms;
• Land Use Victoria, the State Revenue Office, the Australian Taxation Office, councils, waterauthorities and other government bodies;
• owners corporations, owners corporation managers and insurers;
• identity verification providers;
• search providers and information brokers;
• accountants, financial advisers, attorneys, executors, administrators or other authorised representatives;
• IT, cloud storage, practice management, email, telephone, document signing, payment, accounting and cybersecurity service providers;
• insurers, auditors, professional advisers and external consultants;
• regulators, courts, tribunals, law enforcement bodies or other persons where required or permitted by law.

We will take reasonable steps to ensure that third parties who handle personal information for us arerequired to protect that information appropriately.

9. Overseas disclosure

Some of our service providers may store or process information using systems or infrastructure locatedoutside Australia, including cloud, email, telephone, document management, client verification, e-signing,accounting, practice management, cybersecurity or backup services.

Where we disclose personal information overseas, or where overseas access is reasonably likely, we willtake reasonable steps to ensure the information is handled appropriately and consistently with applicableprivacy requirements.

Countries in which information may be stored or accessed may include Australia and other countries whereour technology and service providers operate.

10. Security of personal information

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorisedaccess, modification and disclosure.

Our security measures may include:

• secure practice management systems;
• password protection and access controls;
• multi-factor authentication where available;
• secure email, document and file management practices;
• identity verification processes;
• staff confidentiality obligations and training;
• restricted access to client files;
• secure storage and restricted access controls for telephone call recordings;
• backups and cybersecurity protections;
• secure destruction or deletion of information when appropriate.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. Clients should also take care when sending personal information, bank details or identity documents electronically.

11. Bank account and payment security

Conveyancing transactions are a known target for payment redirection fraud.

We will take reasonable steps to verify bank account details and payment instructions in accordance with policies and procedures set out by Professional Standards. You should independently verify any bank account details before transferring money, especially if you receive a request by email or text.

We will not be responsible for loss caused by a client acting on fraudulent payment details unless the loss iscaused by our negligence, breach of law or other legal responsibility.

12. Direct marketing

We may use your contact details to send you information about our services, updates or related matterswhere permitted by law.

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by contacting us or using any unsubscribe optionprovided. We will still send you communications that are necessary for your matter or our legal obligations.

13. Access to personal information

You may request access to personal information we hold about you.

To request access, contact us using the details in this policy.

Before providing access, we may need to verify your identity. We may refuse access where permitted by law,including where giving access would unreasonably affect another person’s privacy, reveal commerciallysensitive information, prejudice legal proceedings, or otherwise fall within a permitted exception.

If we refuse access, we will provide reasons where it is reasonable and lawful to do so.

14. Correction of personal information

We take reasonable steps to keep personal information accurate, up-to-date, complete and relevant.

You may ask us to correct personal information we hold about you.

If we refuse to correct information, you may ask us to associate a statement with the information notingthat you believe it is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading, where required by law.

15. Retention and destruction of information

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to complete your matter, meet legal and professional obligations, resolve disputes, maintain business records, comply with insurance requirements and manage risk.

When information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it, unless weare required or permitted by law to retain it.

16. Data breaches

We maintain processes to identify, assess and respond to data breaches.

If a data breach occurs and it is likely to result in serious harm, we will take steps required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, where applicable.

17. Automated decision-making

We do not currently use automated decision-making systems to make decisions that could reasonably be expected to significantly affect the rights or interests of clients. 

If this changes, we will update this Privacy Policy to explain the kinds of personal information used and thekinds of decisions made or substantially assisted by automated systems, where required by law.

18. Website, cookies and analytics

If you use our website, we may collect limited technical information, such as IP address, browser type,device information, referring website, pages visited and time spent on pages.

We may use cookies or similar technologies to operate the website, understand website traffic and improve our services.

You can usually adjust your browser settings to disable cookies, but some website features may not work properly.

19. Complaints

If you have a privacy concern or complaint, please contact us first so we can try to resolve it.

Privacy contact: Angela Christiansen - Director/Owner

Email: office@nvconvey.com.au

Phone: (03) 9737 6641

Address: Main Office: Suite 5, 174 Main Street, Croydon VIC 3136

Please include enough information for us to understand your complaint and respond properly.

We will acknowledge your complaint within a reasonable time and aim to resolve it promptly. We may ask for further information or verification of identity.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

20. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, technology, our systems or our business practices.

The current version will be available on our website or on request.