What are Title Deeds?
Title deeds are the legal documents that prove the ownership over immovable property, whether a building or land. Title deeds are also referred to as Deeds of Transfer, Deeds of Grant or Certificates of Registered Title. The information that often times appears on the Title Deeds include;

• A description of the property, with its size, boundaries and exact position.
• The name and identity number of the person or persons who legally own the property. It is possible to have more than one owner on a title deed.
• Any factors that could restrict the sale of the property, for example, mortgage bonds or caveats registered over the property.
• An official Deeds Registry Office seal to indicate that the deed has been recorded.
• Details of any access or other rights (sometimes known as ‘servitudes ‘) that come with a building or land,

Who keeps the Title Deeds?
Where the title deeds are kept depends mainly on whether there is a Mortgage bond on the property or not. If you have a mortgage with a Bank or a Finance Lender you should be able to check your title deeds with them. It is customary for a Bank to keep your Title Deeds until a loan is repaid. If your title deeds are not with a Bank and you do not know where they are, you can apply for a copy from the Registrar of Deeds for a fee.


Changing ownership of title deeds
If you want to purchase or dispose of your property, you should seek the services of a Conveyancer to attend to the transfer of ownership. If the property has a mortgage, you will need the consent of the lender before any changes can be effected to the transfer.


For any inquiries relating to Conveyancing & Estates in Zimbabwe, kindly get hold of our Conveyancing and Estates Practice Group on info@mmmlawfirm.co.zw