In this post, I’m going to cover how to clarify and verify Land titles.
Step by step:
- Check Your Serial Numbers
- Check The Judicial Form
- Check The Last Two Digits
- Check The Paper Quality
- Check The Overall Appearance
- Check The Border Sides
- Check The Signatures
But before we begin.
Why is it Important to Verify Land Title?
If you can’t verify your land title, you could have large consequences. First, is not being able to protect your property rights, and you are unable to do transactions on your land.
You will also be prohibited from using your land for commercial purposes. It is important to classify your title, so you won’t go through many hassles and obstacles that may happen in the future.
Now let’s begin.
We’ll be investigating your Land Title from top to bottom, so get ready and prepare your magnifying glass detective!
Examine Your Serial Numbers
Now, this one is pretty easy. You can see the serial number on the top left and see that the letter is black and the digits are red if it’s an original, but when it’s a duplicate, it should be the opposite, but if you notice that it’s none of those two, there’s a possibility that your title is fake.
While on an E-Title, you should see the NO. letter with long numbers This should indicate the ROD code location, year of registration, and entry number of the year as shown in the image.
Check The Judicial Form
At the top left of the serial numbers, you’ll notice the judicial form. On its side, you should see characters written. If the title you are holding is OCT, it should indicate “Judicial Form No.108-D”, but if it’s TCT, it should indicate “Judicial Form No. 109-D.”
Check The Last Two Digits
On the upper right, you can see the page number. If the title you are holding is TCT, the page number should correspond to the last two digits of the TCT number.
CHECK THE PAPER QUALITY
The paper you’re holding should be 50% cotton and 50% chemical wood pulp, while the color should be light yellow. It should also have an LRA or NALTDRA watermark when held against the sunlight. Dots and fibers should be seen when put under UV lighting.
On the E-Title, the paper quality should be pale straw with visible dots and fibers without using UV lighting.
Check The Overall Appearance
This should be easy to check. While the old title is handwritten, the E-Title’s entries should be computer encoded and printed.
Examine The Border Sides
On the old title, it should be colored red and slightly embossed, not a flat printed texture. This is the same for an E-Title; it should be colored blue and slightly embossed, not a flat printed texture. You can compare your current title to the image shown.
Now let’s take a look at the bottom.
Check The Seal
At the bottom, you can easily spot the red seal. Its texture should be the same as the border. Slightly embossed and not a flat printed texture.
Check The Signatures
At the bottom right, if the title you’re holding is TCT, only the signature of the Register of Deeds is present, but if yours is Judicial OCT, it should have two signatures presenting the Administrator and the Registrar.
The OCT should also have two titles, while the administrative titles should have signatures from PENRO and CENRO officers and one from the Registrar.
And for CLOA, it should have signatures from the registrar and the DAR Secretary.
All right, that’s all you need to verify and identify your land title
Conclusion
It’s really important to know if your land title is legit, as this can give you plenty of advantages.
Because, according to statistics, more than 11,000 fake titles have been distributed worldwide.
So you’d better clarify it accordingly. Don’t forget to re-read if there’s something you’re missing.