How To Find A Philippine Land Title
Doing a Philippine Land Title Search at the Registry of Deeds confirms important information.
This article covers what you need to know about how to do a Philippine Land Title search.
You may need to do a search to verify the name of the Registered Owner, Transfer the Title into your own name, or secure a Certified True Copy of Land Title (CTC) because you have lost yours.
Unfortunately, there are no short cuts to getting a copy of a Philippine Land Title. If you are very, very lucky you may find the Land Title Online, via the Land Registration Authority (LRA) Serbiyso database.
Regardless there are many reasons why it is important to get a copy of the Title.
Below are some of those reasons:
- You are planning to buy a piece of land or property and you need to check the Certified True Copy Land Title (CTC) to make sure the person selling the land is the true owner.
- You want to take out a mortgage or loan and you need the Land Title for the Bank or Lender mortgage application.
- You want to check if there are any loans or Annotations on the property
- You need Technical Descriptions of the property
- The land has been left to you as part of an Inheritance and you need to transfer it into your name.
- You have lost your original Owner’s Title or it is damaged.
If you have lost your Owner’s Title and are trying to replace it, check out this detailed post on the only way to do it.
Or, click here if it is the Registry of Deeds who has lost its copy of your Title and you need to reconstitute it.
Process for a Philippine Land Title search
If you have already looked for the Land Title online and it is not available you will need to follow one of the processes I discuss below.
Often just getting information on a Philippine Land Title can be tedious and time-consuming. You will need a lot of sandwiches for this expedition!
And if you then need to secure a copy of a Land Title that takes more time!
How complicated or time consuming the process will be will depend on what information you already have, what you are trying to find out and why.
The Search process will be easier and quicker if:-
- You have the Land Title number; this identifies the property and is assigned by the Registry of Deeds
- You have copies of the Tax Declaration.
- You have the full address of the land.
A Certified True Copy (CTC) of a Land Title is the ultimate evidence that you are the recognized Registered Owner.
There are different Land Title Search processes and what you will need to do is dependent on why you need the Title.
I have included links to my relevant articles about each process.
- The owner is deceased and the Land Title is in their name
You must settle their Estate first and then transfer the Title to your name. Read More Here
- The owner is alive and the Land Title is not in your name (e.g. you bought the land from them)
You must apply to the Registry of Deeds to Transfer the Title to your name and will be required to provide a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) from the Registered Owner allowing you to search for the Title. You will need copies of the Deed of Sale and BIR payment for transfer taxes. Then follow the process below set out in this article under Documents Needed for a Land Title Search.
- The Land Title is lost but is in your name
You must go through a Reissuance Court case Read More Here
- The Land Title is lost and is not in your name
You must go through a Reissuance Court case and either go through an Extrajudicial Settlement (EJS) and a Deed of Sale or other Transfer. You will need to submit the Deed of Sales, the BIR proof of payment of Transfer Taxes and property documents such as Tax Certifications. Read More Here
- The Registry of Deeds has lost the Land Title
You must go through a Reconstitution Court case. Read More Here
If you do not have a Land Title or you do not know if the land has been titled, then you will have to go to the Registry of Deeds and the City Assessor to find out what you need to provide to them, so they can advise which Land Title search process you will need follow.
If your circumstance is not covered above you can contact me for advice
Starting a Land Title search
There are different processes to follow depending on why you are doing a Land Title Search
There is really no easy way of doing a Title search. You may luck out searching for your Land Title online but the LRA database is still patchy. And you can’t just pick up the phone and ask for a Title to be checked for.
A search can be time consuming, often confusing and you will have to spend some money on Fees at each agency.
Philippine Land Titles are held at the Registry of Deeds or Municipality where the land is located, so it can also be frustrating if the land is not near where you live.
The reality is that you will need to start your search at the local government offices where the land is located.
This means that a Philippine Land Title search is a bigger problem if you live abroad.
If this is your situation, give someone a red-ribboned Special Power of Attorney (SPA) so that they can go to the agencies on your behalf. But understand they may have to spend several days visiting these agencies to check a Land Title and secure a Certified True Copy Land Title.
Why do I need to do a Land Title search?
It will take time and effort to search for and verify a Land Title
There are many people who believe that it is enough to have a file full of Tax Declarations made and paid in their name to verify them as the Registered Owner.
But this is not the case.
All that does is confirm they paid Tax on the land. It is NOT ENOUGH by itself to prove Ownership of the Land.
The issuance of a Philippine Land Title is the ultimate evidence that you are the Recognized Land Owner.
If you are a buyer you should certainly make sure that the person selling land you want to buy is the Registered Owner.
Tax Declarations in their name are not enough!
You might have been given the Land Title number by the seller. Or even a photocopy of the Owner’s duplicate Title so that you can do your due diligence.
BUT Due Diligence includes making sure the Registered Owners name is the same on the Land Title AND the Tax Declarations provided. Even then I would urge you to go to the Registry of Deeds in person to verify a Land Title.
With the proliferation of fake Philippine Land Titles – estimates for General Santos alone is that there 10,000 fake Land Titles in circulation – and with rising property prices, it is necessary to make sure you are buying from the owner and not a conman.
Only Registered Owners and Heirs can apply for a Land Title Search, this includes an online, so you will need to get a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) from the seller giving permission for you to undertake the search.
When you have this SPA, go to the Registry of Deeds and the City Assessors and get Certified True Copies of the Title and the Tax Declaration.
Check to make sure that the name of the owner on these documents is the person selling the property to you.
Remember that to become the new owner of Philippine property, the Land Title has to be transferred into your name and it can only be transferred by the Registered Owner.
Verifying land title information can be tedious and time consuming depending on the information you have at hand
Potential Heirs may need to undertake a Philippine Land Title search because the property Title cannot be found or they need to find out who the Registered Owner is, as the property might be in another relative’s name instead of their parents name.
It is the Registered Owner who will determine who Inherits the land or property, so it is a top priority to find out.
Documents Needed for a Land Title search
The more documents or information you have the slightly easier the whole process is if you are doing a straight forward search!
Yes, I have the Land Title Number or Copy of the Owners Title
If you do have a Land Title number or copy of the Owner’s Title you will need to:-
- get an SPA from the Owner (if you are not the owner or an heir of the owner)
- fill up an application form at the Registry of Deed’s Office where the land is located
- pay for a Certified True Copy of Land Title
- return on a succeeding day when it is ready for collection.
I only have the Address
If you only have the property address and don’t have a copy of the Title at all, it becomes more difficult.
If you have the address, the best place to go is to the Tax Assessor’s Office at the at the Municipal City Hall where the property is located.
They can help you find the Title number so that you can then go to the Registry of Deeds. This can take several visits.
I only have a name!
Now, if you only have a name, you are in a bit of a pickle!
If you only have a name to go by you are in a bit of a pickle!
For example: Say a mother and son had fought and weren’t speaking to each other. She later dies and the son Inherits everything. He knows his mother had several properties all over the Philippines but he cannot find his mother’s documents to prove ownership of them. And he doesn’t know the address of each property.
In this case, the sons only option really is to hire a professional.
It will take a lot of work and a lot of expense and in some cases it may be near impossible.
Agencies You May Need To Visit
The Registry of Deeds is the primary government agency tasked with maintaining public records involving Land Titles
The main agencies most people will need to transact with are the Registry of Deeds and the Municipal Assessor Office.
But there are a few others depending on why you need a copy of your Title:
Registry of Deeds
As I have mentioned already you will need to visit the Registry of Deeds office local to where the land or property is.
It is possible that the Registry of Deeds website may be able to help with an online Land Title search or verification. So, it is always worth checking this first.
But these online land title records are patchy.
Expect to have to personally visit the Registry of Deeds as you will need to double check with the local Registry of Deeds if there is a negative result in the online database
Municipal or City Assessor’s Office
Property taxes are paid at the Municipal or City Assessor’s Office and are important proof regarding the ownership of the land.
If you are looking for further supporting documents on the ownership of the land, this is one of the places you must visit.
The Municipal or City Assessor’s Office will be able to give you the Tax Declarations for the property and update you if there are pending taxes to be paid.
Land Registration Authority (LRA)
The Land Registration Authority is the office which issues Certificates of Title, Decrees of Registration and other Registration Documents.
If you have previously transacted with the Registry of Deeds in relation to a Sale, Mortgage or Lease issue with your Title it is possible that it has already been converted to an eTitle and is on the LRA’s database. This means it is a lot easier for you to get a copy.
You can also apply to the LRA to convert your Original Certificate of Title to an e-Title under their Title Upgrade Program. You would need to visit the LRA or the Register of Deeds and submit a Conversion Request Form.
You would need the following documents:
- A copy of the Owner’s Duplicate Certificate of Title
- A valid Government-issued ID e.g. Driver’s License, GSIS, SSS, HDMF, PhilHealth, Passport, Postal ID
- A Special Power of Attorney (SPA) if you are an agent representing the registered owner.
- A duly notarized Secretary Certificate or Board Resolution if you are a corporation, which authorizes a representative to file the Conversion Request with the Registry of Deeds.
Also, you may need to visit the LRA if the local Registry of Deeds cannot help you.
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)
In some cases land has been affected by a Reform. Reform is where the government breaks up a parcel of land.
It is advisable to check at this Agency if you know that the area went through Agrarian Reform, in order to get the full picture of the land’s status.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
The DENR approves or disapproves the application of public land patents such as Homestead, Sales Patent and Free Patent. They can also advise on the nature of the land such as whether it is Alienable & Disposable (A&D), Forest Land etc.
If you are buying a plot of land with the plan to build on it, it is vital that you first check the land classification with the DENR office local to the land.
Additionally, the DENR stores the Cadastral Maps which can be very helpful.
Summing up!
This article is just a brief primer explaining how to do undertake a Philippine Land Title search and how and where to check for to verify property information.
Heirs:
When an Heir undertakes to verify a Land Title it helps them determine who all the Heirs (Compulsory Heirs) are.
In some cases Heirs believe the Land Title is in their parent’s name but then discover it is still in their grandparent’s name. This might be because their parents didn’t know they needed to have the Title transferred to their name or maybe they didn’t have the money to pay to transfer the Land Title into their Name.
Discovering that the Land Title is still in the grandparents name may mean there are now more Heirs than originally thought and the Estate will likely be shared to more people.
This is why it is important to transfer a Land Title into your name when you inherit Philippine Land or Property.
And in cases of Inheritance, all too often, Heirs don’t have any of the documents they need and so cannot figure out how to go about Settling their Estate.
Property Buyers:
Checking and verifying a Land Title before purchase protects buyers from being scammed.
We have seen cases of defrauded buyers all too often. Buyers who paid good money only to realize too late that they were not transacting with the Registered Owner but a scammer who had faked a Land Title.
Or buyers who have paid money for Land or Property, where the “owner” had provided copies of Tax Decs in their name but a Land Title in the name of their parent or Grandparent. Only for the buyer to find out that there were other Heirs who didn’t know the property was being sold or did not agree to sell it.
In such cases the buyer either loses both their money and the property or they face an expensive court case to try to get their money returned or persuade the other heirs to agree to the original sale.
People occupying the Land:
Other people who may be interested in the land are people who have lived on the land for a long time.
For them, the best course is to first go to City Hall and the Registry of Deeds to see what the Land Title Status is.
From there, one of the correct processes can be determined. If they believe they have a claim’ on the land they will most likely need to instruct a lawyer to assist them
There are other government agencies holding public records that may also be of help.
There are other agencies you can check with but the Registry of Deeds or the Tax Assessor’s Office (at the Municipality City Hall) are the most used.
You might need to check with other agencies for other concerns, especially if you are trying to trace the Land Title all the way back.
It will depend on what you want to accomplish as there are many reasons to check property information.
My Advice, whenever there is property involved, always check the title with the Registry of Deeds.
It gives you peace of mind!
Atty. Francesco C. Britanico, FCB Law Office
Lawyers in The Philippines
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This blog is very helpful. Thank you very much!
Hi po,
My Family is planning to sell our land, pero according to the attorney of the buyer naka loan daw ang lupa naming sa bangko, which is hindi naman daw totoo nasaamin rin ang titulo ng lupa. Ano po pwede naming gawin?
You can check and get confirmation from the bank and the register of deeds.
hello good day.,I am planning to buy a land in batangas direct from an owner(with an agent), but currently i am out of the country. As i talked to them they told me that i dont need to do consular SPA because i dont need to sign the deed of sale and only the signature of the seller is needed. with this, i want to ask if what they told me is legally correct?, And also is it correct that as a buyer, aside from the absolute deed of sale, i dont need to sign other documents?. Thankyou in advance.
This is unusual. You should ask them why they propose this.
Good day! My husband and I bought our house and lot from my aunt in the early 80s. We were given the Land Title but not the Deed of Sale. We have been living in the said house since then. We have been paying for the land taxes as well. My cousins and their children are aware of this so they never staked a land claim which I am grateful for. However, I want the land transferred to my children. Is this possible without the Deed of Sale? Thank you.
Once you reach 40 years’ possession of the land, particularly in the concept of owner, you may consider filing a court case for the confirmation of your ownership.
Hi! Can we claim the land (or part of it) we’ve been living in for the past 60 years? It was owned by my grandfather but someone borrowed the title, then the person transferred the ownership to him without my grandfather’s knowledge. But I think this happened way way back before our house has been built.
This may be possible, but we cannot say without the specific facts. This is not enough to go on.
We may speak to your particular situation if you contact us at https://lawyerphilippines.org
Hi we are looking for my late grandfather’s title of land granted under United States of America at Philippine Island Title. We only have our Grandfather’s marriage contract. Thank you.
It would be difficult with just that. It would be helpful to at least know the place where the property was supposed to have been located and whatever other details or papers as may be available.
Hello, I am planning to buy a vacant lot. Kapag po ba nagbigay nako ng DP, is it necessary na ibigay na din ng seller yung DEEDS OF ABSOLUTE SALE?
A Deed of Absolute Sale is usually executed when the property is fully paid for. The agreement is usually only a Contract to Sell when only a down payment has been made. This is changed to a Deed of Absolute Sale once the payments are completed.
PAANO PO MAKUHA ANG LOT TITLE
First, make sure you research what the status of the title is with the various land government bodies. You will then be able to determine what to do after assessing the property’s actual documentary status.
Good day.
Ung lupa po amin ginamit ko as collateral for loan sa isang banko 20years ago.hindi ko pa naasikaso na bayaran ung loan ko at dahil dyan ang pagkakaalam ko po foreclosed na ung lupa ko at ung bangko po na pinagsanlaan ko ay nagsarana. N ngaun buwan po dumating po ung notice of assessment galing sa assessor na ako parin po ang nakapangalan sa lupa.
Posible pa po ba na mabawi ko ung original title ko sa bangko?tnx
Talk to the bank and see what you can do. They will likely ask you to pay off the loan.
hi, ross here, i have a copy of a title, in the name of seller,i have a copy of a deed of absolute sale from the seller, relating to that person being the previous buyer. i have a secretary’s certificate of a corporation authorizing a person in 2017 to, among other things, dispose of a said property to the current seller. i have a land tax assessment in the name of the seller.
should i feel confident that the property is owned by the seller?
ross
You may consider checking for a recent certified copy of the title from the register of deeds and physically checking the property as well.
My mother bought a parcel of land at Rural bank of Tacurong. the Lot was located at Municipality of Tantangan, Province of South Cotabato.
Apparently Rural bank of tacurong went close several years ago, yet we did not get the original copy of the land title. we only have certified true copy we got from the registry of deeds. I spend a lot of time and effort going to different offices to locate the original title, some of them says it was forwarded at land bank, PNB, etc. but i got nothing at all. now I’m having big trouble locating the original. hoping you could help me find the original title, or hope that you can give me advise on how to locate those. Thank you!!
The facts are unclear. The rural bank should have the title. If it has closed, it might sill be possible to get it.
Good afternoon po. Will just ask regarding the status ng lot kung saan nakatayo ang bahay namin. Ngayon lng namin nalaman pagkalipas ng matagal na panahon, after namin i check ang title sa registry of deeds dito sa province namin na wala palang registered title ang buong lote na about 40,000 sq.m. Nang I-check ko sa bureau of lands, wala ding approved subdivision plan. Ang tanging hawak namin ngayon is yung tax declaration na nakapangalan sa great great grand father namin. Yung lote was subdivided sa 8 na parte, at kada parte is may tax declaration naman. Naisip namin siguro na subdivide ang buong lote for tax purposes only. Ngayon, ano po ang dapat namin gawin para ma process ang pag pa titulo ng lupa under sa pangalan namin? Sana mabigyan niyo po kami nang suggestion. Thank you.
Sent an email.
How to obtain a copy of old record of registered land application,no title yet as my grandfather died long time ago, but his record was missing as well, we went to particular agencies but we cant find his registered application, no surprise since the one who interest in his land are working on these agencies (or just having a dirty mind). My aunties and uncles are struggling now as they were asked to show even just an old record that my grandfather did really applied for registered land, so since it was missing they haven’t show anything yet, native People in this place specially the people whom my grandfather entrusted this land to them is only proof we have, now how can we have a copy of registered land application of my grandfather so we or my aunties and uncle would apply for title afterward?
I will send an email.
Hello atty. I have the same concern.
Trying to obtain these documents from the agencies is the simplest way. But, if this is not possible or they don’t exist, you may have to resort to other proof of your family’s continuous possession of the property and apply for the issuance of an original title in your family’s name.
My grandmother’s land was sold by her niece. She didn’t have an heir as she had no husband and children. Her niece told the buyer that the land has no title but the title actually exists. It is in my mother’s possession as she’s the one taking care of my grandmother when she was still alive. Ny grandmother gave it to her.
Now the person who bought the land requests for a title some sort at the DENR because he doesn’t know that the title exists. Who could’ve been the heir of the land? Please advise. Thank you so much
This is not enough information to say. If there was a registered title, we don’t see how a sale could have been effected or how a sale can be registered without referring to it.
Hi,
I am abroad in Canada and looking to find the title to my late grandfather’s farmland. How would we go about gathering the information from abroad with only having the name and address of the property?
I sent an email.
Good evening po, mayroon lamang po akong katanungan patungkol sa minanang lupa ng aming ama. Ang mana po ay matagal na panahong pinabayaan at hindi inasikaso ng aming ama at maging ng kanyang mga kapatid na halos karamihan ay nangamatay na. Sa amin pong pagkaalam ay marami na ngayong nakatirik na bahay at establisimento sa property at mayroon na din silang sarili nilang titulo. Maaari po bang mangyari iyon? Mayroon po bang paraan na kung hindi man namin ma-claim ang property ay mabigyang kabayaran naman ang aming angkan?
Sent an email.
Good evening,I have some questions po,sana magreply kayo sa email po para malinawan kami ng dapat naming gawin.tnx.tungkol pp ito sa lupa.
Hi Maria:
I have not received any email from you yet.
Please check that the email address is correct.
Meron pong rice land na nakapangalan po sa nanay ko na 90yrs old na. Kung sakali po bang may mangyari sa nanay ko ng hindi pa nalilipat sa name namin magkapatid ung lupa ano pong mangyayari? Need po bang mailipat na sa pangalan namin magkapatid ang lupa?
https://lawyerphilippines.org/2018/10/20/how-to-transfer-land-heirs-philippines-extrajudicial-settlement-philippine-land-inheritance/
Hi, my husband owns a large lot of land in Silang,Cavite. He has all the papers for it except the Title Deed. How can he acquire another copy of the Deed? We are overseas so not possible to just go to an office and it seems nothing is done online in Philippines which is quite annoying.
Sent an email.
A relative of mine purchased a parcel of land in the province many years ago. The person selling the land only provided a tax declaration (which as you mentioned isn’t proof of ownership). A government agency who purchased land adjacent to the property is now trying to claim that they own the land. What is the best course of action? The original seller of the land is already dead but his son is alive and willing to attest that they sold the land to my relative. Can you email me so we can talk about it?
Sent an email.
My wife and I are about to get a divorce here in America. I’m an American citizen and she is a Filipina who got her US citizenship in 1997. She owns a house and property valued at around 10 million pesos. I have some of the information regarding the property such as the address but not the land deed.. Can my lawyer here in the states obtain the copy of the land title for me? If so, how do we go about doing it because she refuses to give us a copy and I think she may have used a fake name to obtain it? Any information would be a great help so we know what our next move is. We are in the beginning stages of getting the divorce and I don’t want to waste time running around trying to figure out what we need to do next. Thanks in advance for your help.
Sent an email.
I have a title of land.. my friend parcel to me his title of land.. can i verify online if the title is original or fake…
Not online. It would be best to go to the register of deeds for an updated copy of the title.
Hi. I am planning to buy the lot in front of my property. Is it possible to go to the tax assessor’s office with just the address?
It may be.
What is the easiest way to verify if the land, I’m in Manila but the land is in Sarangani, I cannot go to sarangani to go to ROD, to file or see the land, I just wanna know, they pawn e title, but the thing is I cannot or don’t have money to go there, 300k for 16 ang 4hectares of land,
Thanks
Check the land title with the Registry of Deeds at the national database.
You might still have to go to Sarangani to check however, if it is not there.
hi! my mother is 82 years old and she have her land in bohol…she go to assessors ofice to apply for her land being titled…and its been 3years now shes tired going back and fort in manila to bohol just to ask assessors offiec if her titled to apply os finish but always they say not yet…how can i checked here in manila if those land titled is finish?
We could assist with that if needed.
Send us a message with your concerns at https://lawyerphilippines.org
How do i find out if my mother had property under her name. We lived in White Plains Quezon City in 1980s and had to leave during the Edsa 1986.
Fill out our form on https://lawyerphilippines.org with the details you know or possess. We can see if this is something we can investigate.
How to know if the land don’t really have a land title? The seller only have tax declaration proof of ownership. He told me that all the area in that place only have a tax dec and he said that we can apply for title of our own.
A tax declaration is not sufficient proof of ownership.
He must show you the title in his name and you must check to make sure it is valid.
If he has a tax declaration, it is possible to check if the property has a title but it it tedious to do. You will have to go to several government offices to double check.
The Office does title verification as well.
Can I verify if there exist a name of a land title to Mr Imlan Indanan of Jambangan, Siasi, Sulu?
Land title T-183 location Batu ugis maimbung sull
I am the only child of my parents, my dad passed away…and my mum sold the half of their lot without my knowing ..and mother passed away after she sold the property that hows I found out…
. Just wanna know if it is valid ?
It might be that half the property was conjugal property and therefore hers outright.
Hello. My mom inherited property but only has an old tax declaration, dated 1974. How can we find out if it was eventually titled?
This may be traced through the assessor’s office and through the Register of Deeds.
how can i know the land title number,if name of owner and tax declaration only i have?
The tax declaration typically has that information.