Accessing the Secured Transactions Registry

The Palau Secured Transactions Registry (STR) is an online register that provides lenders and trade creditors with the ability to register their interest over movable property that is used as collateral to secure a payment obligation.

There are two types of access to the Palau Secured Transactions website, depending on whether you are interacting with the site as a logged-in account holder or only with public access.

If you intend to register a notice(s) of security interests you must open a client account with the STR Registry. This will allow you (or your company or financial institution through its authorized users) to log in to the website to register notices and to request certified search reports. You need a separate account to make STR filings: a company registry account will not work in the STR registry.

Fees for registering and for requesting certified search reports are automatically debited against the pre-funded client account. Payments can be made online via a credit card or by cash or check to the Registry account administered by the FIC. Please see the Guide "How to Make a Payment" for details. To set up a client account, return to the main menu screen and select the Create Account option. It will take you to the Client Account application, which you can complete and submit on-line

1. Account Holders

   To set up an account, from the STR Welcome Screen:

   1. Click on the Create Account link in the main menu.
   2. Select the registry account type option setup a STR account.
   3. Read and agree to the terms and conditions.
   4. Enter the general information for the account. The client account administrator will need to upload a government issued photo ID as well.
   5. Press Save.
   6. The Registrar will review your application and, if all is in order, will approve your account. You will receive an email confirming this action.

   Features of having a STR account:

   • Register notices to secure your charge over movable property of the debtor.
   • File amendments and other change filings.
   • Manage payments to fund your account.
   • Manage your own client account, including managing new users.

2. Public Access

   To simply search the STR you do not need to create an account as searches are free.

   From the STR Welcome screen under the Searches and Filings menu:

   1. Click on the link Search for Notices of Security Interest .
   2. Choose the tab for either debtor search, VIN number search, notice registration number search, or certified search verification.
   3. Enter the mandatory search information.
   4. Press the Search button.
   5. If any records are found they will display along with the search criteria.
   6. You may print the search results. To obtain a certified copy you will need to establish a client account.

Changing a Password

You may change your password as follows

1. Login to the STR website by entering your user name and password in the login fields.
2. Click on the Account tab in the top navigation menu.
3. Click on Change Password to open the Change Password screen.
4. Enter your old password in the first space, and enter your new password in the second and third spaces.
5. Click on the Submit button on the top left of the screen.
6. If you made an error in entering either the old or new password, the system will give you an error message to tell you what to correct.
7. A confirmation message will be displayed when your password has been successfully changed.

If you have forgotten your username or password

1. In the top navigation menu, click the Login button and click the Did you forget your 'Login ID' or 'Password'? link.
2. Select either "I forgot my password" or "I forgot my Login ID" and enter the requested information.
3. An email with a link to reset your password will be sent to you.

Fees Structure

There is no fee for searching the Filing Office records.

Registering Change Notices

There are three types of change notices: Amendment, Termination, and Continuation. Each type is described below.

1. Amendment: An amendment is used to change information on the existing notice. An amendment may add, delete or alter Debtors, secured parties and collateral (including any documents that have been uploaded), and VINs. At the conclusion of the amendment there must be at least one Debtor, one secured party, and some collateral identified. An amendment may be filed at any time that the Notice is active and may amend any information associated with that filing except for lapse date. Filing an amendment does not / cannot extend the lapse date of a Notice (that is done via a “continuation” filing).

2. Termination: A termination notice should be filed when a borrower pays off its debt. It serves to end the effectiveness of a registered notice by the authorizing secured party/ parties and serves as proof that the secured party no longer has a charge over the borrower’s property. No data is required other than designation of at least one authorizing party. The party/parties whose interest is /are being terminated must be the authorizing party/parties. A termination may be filed at any time that a Notice is active. Note: a debtor may submit a request to a secured party to file a termination once all debts (and any other obligations) have been paid, and the secured party must file within 20 days.

3. Continuation: A continuation notice serves to extend the validity period of a registered notice by the authorizing secured party/ parties. The only required data is the designation of at least one authorizing party. Filing a continuation extends the effectiveness of the Notice by 5 years from the date the filing would have lapsed. It can only be filed in the six-month window prior to the date that the Notice would expire.

To file a change to an active Notice you must be a registered user and have the secret "access number" associated with the Notice. Then, follow these steps to make a change:

As a logged in user with authority:

1. Click on the Change Notice link from the STR home page menu. This opens a new Initiate Change Notice page with a dropdown menu and two entry boxes.
2. From the dropdown menu select one of the three types of change notices available (amendment, discharge, or continuation).
3. Type in the Notice Registration Number.
4. Type in the Access Number.
   • If filing an amendment, select the "Authorizing" box next to the name of the secured party that is authorizing the amendment. Modify the data as necessary. Press the Review button to review all notice details. To enter updates, press the Edit button and complete the data entry. When the information is correct, press the Confirm button to register the amended notice.
   • If filing a termination, select the "Authorizing" box next to the name of the secured party that is authorizing the termination. Only the General tab is available. Press the Review button to review all notice details. Press the Confirm button to register the termination notice.
   • If filing a continuation, select the "Authorizing" box next to the name of the secured party that is authorizing the continuation. Only the general tab is available. Review the notice. Confirm the notice by clicking the File in Registry button. Upon submission, the notice will be registered and the lapse date is extended by 5 years from the original date that the notice would have lapsed.

If the change notice requires a fee, you will not be able to file the notice until your account has been funded. Click the Fees link to view the list of service fees, and see the How to Make a Payment guide for further details. If the change notice does not require a fee, the registration confirmation page will be displayed upon submission.

This registration confirmation page contains all information entered for the change notice, plus the date and time the notice became effective. It will also contain the initial registration number and date/time. To print the record of the notice, click on the Print icon at the upper left of the screen to convert it to printable format, select the printer and press the Print button in the dialog box.

Registering Notices

Note: the following information is not intended as legal advice. This section provides an overview of the requirements necessary to submit a proper filing to the STR registry. You should consult with your own legal advisors prior to submitting any filing. Making a legally effective filing is the responsibility of the filer, and the Registrar's Office will not be reviewing filings for accuracy or completeness.

To register notices of security interest, you must log in to the website using your client account credentials. Once you log in, you will be on a Client Home page from which you can select the transaction you wish to complete. There is a fee for registering a notice. Please see the Fees guide for a list of charges, and see the How to Make a Payment guide for details on how to process your payment online or in person.

1. General process for registration of a new notice

   1. Click on the appropriate link from the STR home page for the notice type; this opens the correct form which contains multiple tabs.
   2. Enter the required data on each tab.
   3. Press the Review button to review the notice.
   4. If any edits need to be made during the review, press the Edit button to place the form back in edit mode and make the necessary changes.
   5. Press the Submit button to register the notice in the database.
   6. Pressing the Cancel button will cancel the form and redirect back to the STR home page.

   The registration screens are quite simple and intuitive to use. The Notice screen has five tabs that you can choose to complete in any order.

   • The first tab that is displayed when you open the screen is automatically filled with information about you or your company or institution and the type of notice you are registering. There is a “Add Registrant As Secured Party" button below the name and address of the registering party (you or your company) that you may press if the secured party is the same as the registering party. If you press this button, you may then bypass the Secured Party tab, thereby saving you the time of typing in your own information for each filing. The lapse date of the Notice will be set to 5 years from the current date by default. However, you may overwrite this field to set your own lapse date.
   • The second tab is the Debtors tab. It is used to enter all of the debtors (borrowers), or, more technically under the Act, the "obligors" on the obligation. To add a debtor, first click the Add Additional Party button to open the add screen. Then select the type of debtor to be added.
     • If a debtor is a corporation or other incorporated entity, the entity’s name must be entered correctly. The new corporations registry makes this easy as there is now a linkage between the corporation and secured transactions registries. For corporations that have been incorporated since the start of the new online registry or have re-registered, you may enter its incorporation number and its official name and other details (address) will be pulled to the secured transactions registry. You may over-write this information if you wish.
     • If a debtor is another entity type (such as a cooperative or ecclesiastical corporation) enter its exact legal name. If there is a registration number associated with it, you may also enter it.
     • If a debtor is an individual, enter his or her name as it appears on their Palau Social Security registration and gender. Birth-date for individuals is an optional field, but you are encouraged to enter it as well as it will help identify your debtors.
     • Caution: If you are dealing with individuals operating as a partnership, you should not rely on just entering the partnership name: you most likely need to enter the individuals that own the partnership name. Entering merely partnership names (trade names or d/b/a's) may not be effective. If have questions, you should consult with your own attorney for further guidance.
     • YOU MUST ENTER THE DEBTOR NAME WITHOUT ERROR . Failure to do so will prevent future searchers from being able to find your Notice, which in turn may render it legally ineffective.

   In all cases, the debtor's address must appear in the address fields. For corporations that have been incorporated with the FIC or have re-registered in the new online registry, their principal place of business address will be retrieved from the corporations registry, but you may over-write this if you wish. If the corporation has not yet re-registered you will need to enter this information. Once all information has been entered, click the Update button to save the entry. If there are two or more debtors, you can continue to add debtors by clicking the Add Additional Party button after you have added a debtor's information.

   • The third tab is the Secured Party tab. It is used to enter one or more secured parties. If you have not marked the registering party as the secured party in the first tab, or if there are additional secured parties, click the Add Additional Party button to open the add screen. Enter the secured party's name and address in the indicated fields, then click the Update button to save the entry. If there are more secured parties, you can continue to add them by clicking the Add Secured Party button.
   • The fourth tab is the Collateral tab. It is used to enter a description of the personal property that secures the obligation. The description of the collateral may be general or specific, so long as it informs a person who reads it whether particular property is covered by the security interest. There are three ways in which you can enter collateral information, and you may use any one, two or all three of them.
     • You may enter a narrative description of any length in the text box. You may copy and paste from a Word document as well. If you do so, you must carefully review the content to ensure it is reflected accurately, as Word uses special characters that may not render the same once pasted into the text box.
     • You may attach a PDF file containing a description of the collateral.
     • You may enter one or more vehicle serial numbers as collateral. The serial number for a motor vehicle is the number etched on the body of the vehicle by the manufacturer. It is not a license plate number. If you are taking charge over a motor vehicle, you must enter the VIN separately in the specific field provided to give you maximum security.
   • The fifth tab is the Other Information tab. It is used to enter any additional information deemed relevant to the notice. You may enter a narrative description of any length in the text box.

   Once all notice information has been entered, you may press “Review" on the registration to review all notice details. If the notice looks correct upon review, then press the “File In Registry" button to submit the notice. Otherwise, press the “Edit" button to return to the tabbed form and make corrections.

   Upon submitting the registration, a registration confirmation page will be displayed. This page contains all information on the registration, and may be printed. It also contains an Access Number associated with the registration number. The Access Number is required to submit change notices for the initial registration. This number is confidential and should not be provided to any other person, including debtors on the registration. The Access Number is always available in the registry for authorized users, so do not panic if you misplace it.

Searching Notices

Note: the following information is not intended as legal advice. This section provides an overview of the requirements necessary to submit a proper search within the STR registry. You should consult with your own legal advisors prior to relying on any search. Conducting a legally effective search is the responsibility of the searcher, and the Registrar's Office will not be reviewing any searches for accuracy or completeness.

Searches are free, so you may select the Search option either from the Welcome screen without logging in. If you are logged in you may select Search from the Home Page. If you want a certified search report of your search, you must be logged in and select it from the Home Page, because there is a fee for a certified search report. After you select the Search option, the search screen will open.

Whether or not you are logged in, the search screen includes tabs for the different types of search criteria from which you may select.

1. Debtor Search . If you are searching for notices that name a particular debtor, click the Debtor tab. In the Debtor tab, select the type of debtor on which you want to search.
   • If the debtor is a corporation or other incorporated entity (like a cooperative), enter its name as it appears on its organizational document in the displayed field, and click the Submit button. Note: now that there is an online corporations registry you will also be able to search based upon registration number, which may be more convenient. However, this is not a legally effective search under the law and it cannot be certified.
   • If the debtor is an Individual, enter the Individual's name as it appears on their Palau social security registration in the indicated fields and click the Submit button. For individuals that are not citizens of Palau, enter the name as it appears on their passport. We recommend a Surname-only search initially. To narrow your results, you may also enter a first name, or the first initial of the first name.
   • Caution: a partnership is not a distinct legal entity, so searches must be made against the names of the individual partners. Similarly, “trading names” or “doing business as” names are not distinct legal entities. CRITICAL: if you are searching for a business that is not registered as an incorporated entity but operates under a business or trading name, do not rely on the business or trading name alone, you must search against the name of the individual owners.
2. Motor vehicle searches. If you are searching for notices that include a particular motor vehicle serial number (VIN) entered into the proper fields on the collateral description page, click the Vehicle Identification number (VIN) tab. Select the type of number for which you wish to search. Enter the exact number in the displayed field and click the Submit button.
3. STR Registration number searches . If you know the registration number of the initial notice, select the Notice Registration Number tab, enter the STR Notice Registration Number in the displayed field and click the Submit button.

Special note on searches for individuals . For searches against individual debtors, the search logic will always first look to the Surname, and you may enter Surname only. This sort of search will return all Notices that contain this Surname. You may also enter data in the first name field to refine your search. If you enter a full first name, the search will return all Notices that contain both the exact Surname and the exact first name. If you only enter a first initial of the first name, the search will return all Notices that exactly match the Surname and then match the first letter of the first name. For example, if the debtor name was “John Booth” and the search data entered was “J Booth” then “John Booth” would be returned, but so would Notices with names such as “James Booth,” “Johnathon Booth,” and “Jimmy Booth” as these all have a “J” as the first letter of the first name.

Certified Search Reports . Logged in users can request any search results be certified. If you request a certified search report, the results of the search will include certification language and the Seal of the Registrar. It will also include a unique number for the certified search report that can be used to retrieve the report from the Registry database if needed later. The certified search report is an official record of the Secured Transactions Register, and you can use the printed report as evidence of the state of the record on the date of the certified report. This document should be self-authenticated in court without the need for testimony from the office of the Registrar.

Certified Search Verification : This feature allows you to search for and retrieve the results of previously prepared certified searches. The STR will produce certified searches in the event you require this, for instance if you are questioned about the authenticity of a Certificate in court. Each Certificate contains a verification code at the bottom. You may enter this verification code into the search field and the system will reproduce the Certificate. This way the Certificate can be validated as authentic.

1. Select the Certified Search Verification tab.
2. Enter the Certified Search Report Number.
3. Select the Search button.
4. The search report and total notices, if any found, will appear.
5. Select the Print button to print a record of this page.

Viewing Transaction History on Your Account

The Search Transactions feature allows a client account holder to view all notices and certified searches performed on the registry website for their account. This feature is particularly useful for retrieving access numbers in the event that a change notice is required, or for identifying notices approaching a lapse date.

Begin on the STR home page:

1. Select the Search Transactions link under the Searches and Filings menu.
2. To narrow down the transactions, enter additional information in available fields.
   • The From and Through fields select the beginning and ending dates to search within.
   • The Expires From and Expires Through fields show notices that expire within the dates selected.
   • The Transaction Type dropdown menu lists all of the searchable transaction types.
   • The amount of entries displayed per page are customizable with a dropdown menu.
   • To view transactions based on a keyword, enter the word or phrase in the search field.
3. Select the Search button.
4. View the results populated below.
5. Click on the reference number to view the filing details.
6. Click on the blue icon in the Action column to manage the existing notice.