Title deeds when buying or selling property

If you’re planning to buy a new property, you’ll need to get the title deed transferred into your name to prove that you’re the owner of the property. You’ll need the assistance of a lawyer specialising in property transfers (also known as a conveyancer) to help you transfer the title deed into your name.

You’ll only become the owner of the property when the Registrar of Deeds signs the transfer. After it’s been signed, a copy of the title deed is kept at the Deeds Office closest to you.

How long does it take?

A search may take 30 to 60 minutes. In some of the larger offices, the copy of a deed is posted or it must be collected after a certain period of time.

To obtain a copy of a deed or document from a deeds registry, you must:

• Go to any deeds office (deeds registries may not give out information acting on a letter or a telephone call).
• Go to the information desk, where an official will help you complete a prescribed form and explain the procedure.
• Request a data typist to do a search on the property, pay the required fee at the cashier’s office and take the receipt back to the official at the information desk.
• The receipt number will be allocated to your copy of title.

Fortunately, a conveyancer will help you with the process so that you don’t have to worry about all the paperwork yourself. You should contact your legal advisor to find out more.

Reference:

• Western Cape Government, Title Deeds: Proof of Property Ownership, https://www.westerncape.gov.za
• The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, http://www.dla.gov.za/