Registering property does not prove ownership, verify title before purchase

Lawful possession and an unbroken, valid chain of documents are other pre-requisites before registering a property, else ownership may not be guaranteed

A recent Supreme Court ruling has underscored a crucial reality for homebuyers and heirs: a registered sale deed alone doesn’t guarantee ownership. In the Mahnoor Fatima Imran vs M/S Visweswara Infrastructure Pvt Ltd case, the court held that true ownership requires not just registration, but also clear title, lawful possession, and a valid chain of documents — without which even a registered deed may not stand in court.

 

Key takeaways from the judgment

 

In this case, the Supreme Court clarified that property registration is merely a public record of a transaction — not proof of ownership. “Legal ownership arises only