Maharashtra tightens out-of-taluka property paperwork rules

PUNE: State govt has made prior scrutiny by senior registration officials mandatory for property documents presented for registration outside the taluka where the property is located. Officials will get two days to review these documents for stamp duty evasion, undervaluation, and legal encumbrances, a revenue department circular issued on Oct 12 stated.The move is aimed at curbing irregularities under the state’s ‘one district one registration’ scheme, which allows documents to be registered across a district rather than only in the jurisdiction where the property is located, state registration officials told TOI.“Now, when a joint sub-registrar receives a document relating to a property outside the taluka, the office must attach a request for permission to register it. The joint sub-registrar must scrutinise the document and forward it, along with an opinion on whether it is fit for registration, to the joint district registrar within two days,” the circular stated.The procedure will not apply to agreements and sale deeds involving projects registered under Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act for properties outside the taluka. It is also not required for registered documents that do not involve a change in ownership.Measurement mechanismProperty buyers may soon be able to get land or buildings measured before registering a sale, with the state govt directing land records and registration departments to work out a mechanism for a pre-purchase survey.