RSSThe registry of deeds experience
Sep 17
With the additional amount we have added to our savings from my Denmark assignment we are finally able to pay off the remainder of our mortgage to the Home Mutual Development Fund (aka PAGIBIG) earlier this year. Upon hand-off of the land title we were told to proceed to the city/municipal hall encompassing our home to have the deed updated.
I have a one and a half hour commute (one-way) so to deal with the local Binangonan government means I have to take a day off. I decided to put it off until September wherein I planned to get a lot of things going. Yesterday morning was the slot I allocated with going to the Binangonan municipal hall but little did I know that the two hour stint I planned would stretch to an almost full-day dealing with an inefficient and bureaucratic process. I was complaining on how the office process is becoming like a government institutions in terms of process red tape but it is refreshing to get a taste of the real thing every once in a while. I don’t believe in stereotyping but what I saw was nothing but very fit for theatrical offerings.
I will summarize the whole process for those who are going to undergo a similar task of having a newly acquired land title. Note that this is only for canceling the hold of the previous title holder as the land title is already named to us. I would assume that the process will be longer if you will have the title transferred to your name. HDMF underwent that process after we fully paid our mortgage and it took no less than two months. The steps might vary for each municipality/city but the general flow would be the same.
How to Cancel and Update the Land Title Registry
- Before going to the city/municipal hall, make sure you have the following:
- Valid id with picture with at least two clear photocopies
- A working pen
- Land title
- Notice of deed release. HDMF provided this for us but make sure you have this as the title alone is not enough.
- Enough money[1] to pay for land tax, various processing fees, and enough for lunch and snacks.
- Some reading materials, portable music player[2], or portable gaming console to help you pass the time.
- Go to the government office early. The earliest you can finish your business, the better off you will be.
- Go straight to the Assessor’s office and request for two copies of the land tax declaration.
- Go to the cashier and pay the fees for the tax declarations. I paid Php50 for each copy.
- Go back to the assessor’s office and give back the receipt. I was asked to wait while they were preparing the tax declaration. I was asked to pay Php20 per document for the documentary stamp. Why they didn’t include this in the amount I paid in the cashier is still boggling me.[3]
- Go to the land tax windows and have your tax liabilities printed and settled. For a 50 sq. meter lot, I paid around Php800.
- Go to the registry of deed and ask for a form to have the deed registration’s previous owner cancelled and updated to your name. Fill up the form and submit it together with the deed and notice of release. Wait while your deed is being verified.
- Upon verification, you will be instructed to proceed to the cashier with your papers and pay for the processing fee. Don’t bother asking how much since only the cashier will answer you. I paid about Php700 for the processing fee.
- Wait. And Wait some more. This is where the device you brought for passing time will be very handy.
- Once you get a receipt, have the title, stamped notice of release, and receipt photocopied. Submit the photocopies and the originals to the clerk for further processing.
- Your papers will be handed back to you sans the photocopies and you need to submit this to one of the receiving areas near the releasing.
- Wait for your updated deed at the releasing area. Again, you will have to wait for quite a while.
Sounds simple. What killed my time was that I didn’t know the process and the people I talked to in the Land Tax area weren’t too versed in the whole process. They sent me to the “other” building where the Deeds Registry is located which turned out to be three building away and outside the hall compound. Upon going to the Deeds Registry I was asked if I have already paid the land tax and said they are the last stop so I had to troop back to the Land Tax and Assessor’s office. I was also hit by the lunch break just as soon as I was waiting for my papers to be released. One thing I can say with the Deeds Registry people is that they are religious in observing their time schedules. 🙂
ciao!
[1] DONT go with only large-denomination bills or else you are asking your stay to be prolonged if they don’t have enough change for your large bills.
[2] If you are going to bring a music player, make sure that you can free up an ear since you need to be alert if your name is being called. If the person processing your paper is in a bad mood, they would be happy to put your papers at the bottom of the processing stack for “wasting” their time.
[3] The fees posted for the document was pegged at Php50.00 so your guess on where the payments for these highly-overpriced stamps are going is as good as mine.
ciao!