Though property owners safely keep their documents, they may still miss the documents. Losing the documents will result in additional paperworks and higher expenses. Everybody should know the following steps involved in getting duplicate documents:-
- First step is to file an FIR with Police, stating exact reason whether lost, misplaced or stolen and a copy of the FIR.
- Even if the property is mortgaged and the documents have been misplaced by the banks, yet the property owners have to file an FIR.
- Second step is to place an advertisement, stating the loss in any English News-daily and also in any vernacular / regional language newspapers.
- To avoid any legal-hassle in future, the advertisement should also call for any claimant to the property within 15 days of the advertisement. If needed, you can get legal consultant's advice to place the advertisement.
- The owners should get an undertaking on a judicial stamp paper, stating that the originals lost along with the details of property, newspaper advertisement copy and declare that statements mentioned in the undertaking are true. This undertaking should then be attested, notarized and registered with a notary.
- The documents along with required charges should then be submitted to Registrar's office for copy of the sale deed.
- Things to Keep in Mind: (i) Banks do not normally give loan to the properties which do not have original documents. (ii) The buyer should be cautious of the properties which do not have original documents. The seller / owner may have mortgaged the house and the original documents with the bank. If the seller / owner runs away, the buyer will lose his money and also will have to pay the unpaid loan to the bank. & (iii) Getting duplicate sale deed will be much difficult task and also will incur lot of expenses.