Privacy Policy

Malko Conveyancing (ABN 15 696 678 538) ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose, and protect your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

1. What Personal Information We Collect

In the course of providing conveyancing services, we collect personal information about clients, prospective clients, and other parties to a conveyancing matter. The kinds of information we collect may include:

• name, address, date of birth
• contact details (email, phone, postal address)
• identification documents (driver's licence, passport, Medicare card) collected as part of Verification of Identity (VOI) requirements
• financial information (bank account details, loan details, settlement funds)
• property details (address, title information, contract details)
• tax file numbers and ABNs (where relevant to the matter)
• correspondence and instructions related to your matter
• information provided by third parties involved in your matter, such as real estate agents, mortgage brokers, banks, accountants, or the other party's representatives

2. How We Collect Information

We collect personal information:

• directly from you, including through our website contact form, by email, by phone, in person, or through documents you provide
• from third parties involved in your matter, with your authority (real estate agents, mortgage brokers, lenders, accountants, the other side's conveyancer or solicitor)
• from public registers (NSW Land Registry Services, ASIC, others as relevant)
• through Verification of Identity providers (such as IDfy, ZipID, or VOI through Australia Post)

3. Why We Collect Information

We collect personal information to:

• provide conveyancing services to you
• comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, including Verification of Identity, Anti-Money Laundering requirements, and our obligations as a Licensed Conveyancer under NSW Fair Trading
• communicate with you and other parties about your matter
• prepare and lodge documents (including through the PEXA electronic settlement platform)
• maintain our client files
• respond to enquiries and provide quotes
• meet our professional obligations under the Australian Institute of Conveyancers (NSW Division)

4. How We Use and Disclose Information

We may disclose your personal information to:

• the other party to your conveyancing matter and their legal representatives
• your mortgage broker, lender, or bank
• your real estate agent
• your accountant or financial adviser (where you have authorised this)
• PEXA (Property Exchange Australia) for electronic settlement
• NSW Land Registry Services for title registration
• Revenue NSW for stamp duty assessment and payment
• the Australian Taxation Office where required
• NSW Fair Trading or other regulatory bodies where required by law
• our professional indemnity insurer
• third-party service providers who assist us in operating our practice (including IT, cloud storage, document management, and accounting providers — see Section 7 regarding overseas disclosure)
• courts, tribunals, or law enforcement agencies where required by law

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information.

5. Direct Marketing

We may use your contact details to send you information we believe may be of interest, such as updates on NSW conveyancing, legislative changes, or our services. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by replying "unsubscribe" to any such message or by contacting us using the details below.

We do not use personal information for marketing if you have asked us not to, or if doing so would be inconsistent with the purpose for which the information was collected.

6. How We Store and Protect Information

We store personal information both electronically and in physical files. Electronic information is held on secure systems with access controls and password protection. Physical files are stored in secure premises with controlled access.

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We retain client files for a minimum of seven (7) years from the completion of a matter, in accordance with the requirements of the Australian Institute of Conveyancers (NSW Division) and NSW Fair Trading.

7. Overseas Disclosure

Some of our service providers may store or process information outside Australia. Where we disclose personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure the overseas recipient handles the information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles.

8. Accessing and Correcting Your Information

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, and to request that we correct it if it is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading.

To make a request, contact us using the details at the end of this Policy. We will respond within a reasonable time, usually within 30 days. There is generally no fee for accessing your information, but we may charge a reasonable fee for the cost of providing access in certain circumstances.

In limited circumstances, we may decline a request — for example, where access would unreasonably affect another person's privacy, or where we are required by law to withhold the information. If we decline a request, we will explain why in writing.

9. Complaints

If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles or mishandled your personal information, please contact us first using the details at the end of this Policy. We will acknowledge your complaint within 7 days and aim to resolve it within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

• Website: oaic.gov.au
• Phone: 1300 363 992
• Post: GPO Box 5288, Sydney NSW 2001

10. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience and to collect analytics about how the website is used.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of the website.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in the law. The current version will always be available on our website, with the "Last updated" date shown at the top.

12. Contact Us

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or about how we handle your personal information:

Malko Conveyancing
Privacy Officer: Tanya Kats
Email: tanya@malkoconveyancing.com.au
Phone: 0494 721 179