Who holds the property, how they came to hold it, and whether the person selling is the person entitled to sign.
A chain of title is the sequence of transfers that explains how the present seller came to be in the file. We read that sequence against the papers you were given and, where they can be obtained, the particulars in the sub-registrar’s records.
The question is practical: can this person convey this flat, plot, or house, or is the file still missing a link, an heir, or a deed into the seller’s own name?
Laws and records vary by state. Khata, mutation, jamabandi, patta, and municipal extracts are not interchangeable, and the office that holds them changes with the city. The points below describe the work in general. The papers we ask for follow the property’s location, and the report names the source that was actually consulted.
What this covers
The identity of the present holder as it appears in the deeds and supporting records
Sale, gift, partition, settlement, and release deeds in the chain you provide
Gaps in years, missing parent documents, and schedules that do not match the unit being sold
Whether an agreement to sell is being treated as if it were a completed conveyance
Authority of a seller who signs as an heir, a partner, a company officer, or an attorney
Documents we typically need
The sale deed into the seller, and prior deeds as far back as the file and local practice support
Agreement to sell, allotment letter, and builder-buyer agreement where the property came from a project
The local ownership extract — mutation, khata, or the equivalent revenue or municipal entry
Identity proof of the seller and of any heir or attorney who will sign
For inherited property: the death certificate and the will, succession papers, or family settlement relied upon
What you receive
A narrative of the chain in the order the documents support
A table of instruments with dates, parties, and what each one appears to do
Gaps and inconsistencies, kept separate from facts the papers support
Questions to raise with the seller before the balance is paid
Common red flags
A seller who cannot produce the deed into their own name
Flat numbers, areas, or survey details that change from deed to deed without an explanation
An unregistered agreement offered as proof of ownership
Heirs who have not signed, or a will that is mentioned and not shown
A company or partnership seller with no authority papers for the person signing
Questions on this check
Planning a property purchase? Get it verified first.
Tell us the city and what you are buying. We will reply with the papers to send and a quote for the scope.