What is a Title Deed?

A A document that gives evidence of an individual's ownership of property. It includes the following information about the property: names of the current and previous owners; a full description including it’s square meterage; the purchase price paid by the existing owner; all conditions restricting the use; and all limited real rights registered. Afrikaans - Titelakte

">Title Deed is documentary proof of ownership in terms of the Deeds Registries Act 47 of 1937. Each property has its own separate Title Deed. It is an important document containing all the details pertaining to a particular property.

These details are:

• The name of the existing owner as well as the previous owners.
• A detailed property description which includes size.
• The purchase price of the property paid by the existing owner.
• A clause that renders the operation and consequences of the contract as a whole dependent on an uncertain future event. A suspensive condition suspends the operation of the contract for a period of time, subject to the occurrence of a future event, and only if and when the condition has been fulfilled will an enforceable contract exist. In the case where a resolutive condition is stipulated, the contract is immediately binding and will remain binding unless the condition is not fulfilled. Afrikaans - Toestand
  ">Conditions applicable to the The purpose for which your property may be used, for example, residential or business as deemed by your local authority. Afrikaans - Sonering
  ">zoning, use and sale of the land.
• All real rights registered in respect of the property.

The above affect the value of the land. They protect the owner where, for example, you may not build over a building line or the property in front of yours may not block your view with buildings higher than two storeys.

The owner will normally have the Title Deed or a copy thereof in his It passes to the buyer on registration of transfer, with all obligations and rights to the property passed to the new owner. Afrikaans - Besitting

">possession. Before signing an offer to purchase carefully scrutinize the Title Deed.

What are The A government department responsible for the registration of transfer of immovable property. Afrikaans - Aktekantoor

">Deeds Office and The Deeds Registry?
There are numerous Deeds Offices throughout South Africa. Each Deeds Office holds a Deeds Registry, containing filed Title Deeds of all the properties in its particular jurisdiction. All the Deeds Registries are linked to a computer network. Your estate agent can, via a computer-linked facility from his office, examine any Title Deed (registered from 1980) in the country's combined Deeds Registry.