Why unregistered transfers fail

An agreement to sell, a stamp paper, a receipt and possession are not ownership. Only registration transfers title to revenue land, and only the society's own register transfers a society plot.

What goes wrong

• The seller remains the recorded owner and can sell the same property again
• The seller's heirs inherit it on his death, because the record still shows his name
• The seller's creditors can attach it
• You cannot sell, mortgage or transfer it onward
• You cannot obtain utility connections or building approval in your name
• A court claim on an unregistered agreement is slow, expensive and uncertain

The commonest version of this mistake: a transfer letter is issued and handed over, but the society's register is never updated. The letter in your hand is not the record. Always obtain a fresh statement showing the plot in your name after transfer.

For revenue land, registration is still not the end. Apply for mutation so the fard carries your name. A registered deed without mutation is an incomplete transfer.