An owner of a property must be clear about his title as it facilitates all other property-related transactions.
It has also become imperative for any prospective buyer of the property to be sure about the property ownership. The property owner search thus becomes vital.
Various departments in India maintain different records of the property located within their jurisdiction. The property owner search can be done by:
- Obtaining the information online if available
- Getting the information by physically visiting the concerned department
In India, in the absence of complete digitization of all property-related records, the search for property ownership becomes a time consuming and tedious task. A good property lawyer assists and facilitates the property title search/home title search. There are property law firms who even help get the property’s title documents if the owner does not possess the same.
Steps of property owner search:
Many states in India are now having their websites/portals providing property ownership details. It is good to know the State website’s address where the State to be chosen depends upon the location of the property and then visit the relevant page.
- All websites have their criterion for supplying the information. From the available options, select the relevant one, i.e., type of property, location /area of the property, etc.
- Some of the inputs that may be required are khatta number, khasra number, owner’s name, village name, tehsil name, district name, block number, survey number.
- One may get the information after feeding the sub registrar’s office address. It is the office where the property is registered, and the property ownership details are also available there.
Physical examination of public records:
Various departments of government maintain property-related documents. We have offices of the Registration Department, Municipal Offices (estate offices), maintaining records that can be examined physically. But this process is not easy, and therefore it is advised to take the assistance of a property lawyer.
The public records also provide information about any encumbrance over the property and past transactions. They also contain a chain of ownership as per the law of inheritance as reflected in mutation records.
Property tax receipts or utility bills like electricity, water, sewerage, maintenance, etc., are issued in the property owner’s name. These are vital documents to learn about the property owner. The charges or tax is levied at the local level by local bodies likes Municipal Corporations and Panchayats.
Various documents describe ownership like title deed, sale deed, mortgagee deed, tax receipts, utility bills, society share certificate, etc.
An owner must possess the title documents to support his claim of property ownership. A prospective buyer must ask for the originals of these documents from the property owner/seller.
Some of these documents are available as public documents in respective government departments and can be assessed by paying inspection fees.
The need of the hour is to regularly update data and synchronization of information available in various departments. We need a single-window system where all the information of property owner search is available at a click.
Until the time it is done, one can approach law firms and property lawyers who provide services in property owner search.