Theft or loss of Property Documents : What to do?

The loss, theft or /  misplacement of property (Plot of Land, House / flat) documents is a cause of concern for property owners since no transaction can be completed without checking the original sale deed.

It is typically regarded as the sole proof of ownership of property.

In case of loss, the owner must get the duplicate documents so that the chances of misuse are minimised.

Here’s how.

First Information Report (FIR)

A first information report (FIR) should be filed with the local police by the owner as soon as possible. It must state clearly that the property documents have been misplaced, lost or / stolen.

Advertisement..

 An advertisement in an English daily newspaper & a vernacular newspaper must be published, declaring the loss of property documents. The owner must wait for 15 days to see if someone finds the documents & returns the same.

Undertaking..

An undertaking must be prepared on a stamp paper about the loss of property documents, along with the details of the property, a copy of the advt.  and the police complaint number. It needs to be registered, attested & notarised.

Duplicate deed..

 To obtain the duplicate copy of the sale deed, the owner must go to the Sub - registrar’s office, where the property was registered at the time of purchase.

The requisite fee must be paid and all the relevant documents must be provided at the Sub - registrar’s office.

Copy of the complaint..

The owner must retain a copy of the complaint, as well as the newspaper advertisement, as proof of loss and action taken.

   

If Documents Misplaced by Bank..

If the property was mortgaged & the documents were misplaced by the bank or housing finance company (HFC), it must notify the owner so that suitable action can be taken.

However, the bank / HFC must bear the cost involved in getting the duplicate documents.

Source: Economic Times

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