Patta shows who the government records as the holder of a survey number. An encumbrance certificate (EC) lists the deals registered against that property during the years you ask for. That is how loans and past sales show up. Neither document alone proves clean title. They answer different questions, so you read them together.
What each record is for
These are the documents an owner in Tamil Nadu is asked for most often, and what each one establishes.
- Patta. The revenue record naming the holder of a survey number or subdivision. It answers one question: who does the government have on record here?
- Chitta. The record of how the land is classified and held. In Tamil Nadu it is now issued together with patta, as one combined extract.
- Adangal (village account). The record of how the land is cultivated and used.
- FMB sketch. The field measurement sketch. It shows the plot's shape and measurements against the survey numbers next to it.
- Encumbrance certificate (EC). The list of deals registered against the property for the period you ask for. Mortgages and earlier sales show up here.
Where owners get caught out
Two situations cause most of the trouble.
The first is a patta that was never transferred after a purchase or an inheritance. The record still names the previous holder. This surfaces at the worst possible time, when you are trying to sell or raise a loan against the property.
The second is an EC pulled for too short a period. The certificate only covers the years you ask for. Ask for ten years and a charge from twelve years ago will not appear.
What to keep current if you live abroad
Keep the patta in the current owner's name. Keep property tax and any electricity dues paid, and keep the receipts. Pull a fresh EC from time to time, not only when you are about to sell.
These are the items that are slow and awkward to fix from another country, and quick to maintain from anywhere.
Hold your own copies. Originals should stay with you, or with someone you have appointed yourself. Nobody managing your property needs to hold them.
Questions people ask
- Is patta proof of ownership?
- Patta is the revenue record of who the government holds as the owner of that survey number. It is strong supporting evidence, and most transactions need it. But title is established by reading it together with the sale deed and the encumbrance certificate.
- What does an encumbrance certificate show?
- Every deal registered against the property during the period you ask for. That includes sales, mortgages and gifts. It only covers the years requested, so a short search can miss an older charge.
- What is the difference between patta and chitta?
- Patta names the holder of the survey number. Chitta records how the land is classified and held. In Tamil Nadu they are now issued together as one combined patta-chitta extract, so in practice you ask for both at once.
- What happens if patta was never transferred to my name?
- The record keeps naming the previous holder. You usually discover this when you try to sell or raise a loan. Transferring it is administrative rather than hard, but it takes time and someone present, so it is worth doing before you need it.
This is general information, not legal advice
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