Who owns a property is solely determined by who is the owner on the paper—mere possession of the property would not prove you are the owner of the property. So, in the unfortunate event of losing or misplacing property papers or original sale deed, immediate steps should be taken. The first step is to retrieve the lost papers, and the second is to get a duplicate copy of the lost property documents.
Lost property documents: what is the first step?
Lodge an FIR
The first step towards retrieval of the lost property documents would be to approach the police station in your area and lodge a first information report (FIR). After lodging an FIR, police would try to find the documents. In case, they fail to do so during a plausible time window, they will issue a non-traceable certificate, stating that their search for the lost documents has not been fruitful.
Advertise in newspapers
As already mentioned, the owner should first search for the property papers. To do this, he would have to give an advertisement in at least two newspapers about the loss of the property papers, and request to whosoever has found it, to return the documents to his address. We must remind you here, that doing so is obligatory and not optional. We will get to the point in the subsequent sections of this article.
Write an application
On a plain piece of paper, write about the entire turn of events, mentioning that the lost or misplaced document could not be retrieved within a reasonable period. Also provide all the details of the property and attach copies of the non-traceable certificate and the newspaper advertisement clips. While drafting this matter, write an undertaking that the facts mentioned in the application are true to your knowledge.
Submit it to the sub-registrar
Submit the application to the sub-registrar office, where the property was originally registered. Once the documents are verified, your application will be accepted. A duplicate copy of the property papers will be issued to you in a matter of 15-20 days.