Soon, you can check property's legal status in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Property buyers will soon be able to check if the property of their interest is stuck in a legal tangle or has a clear title as the e-governance department is in the process of mapping all properties facing court cases and litigation.

The comprehensive database, which will be made public, will help property buyers check the legality of the property by using the corresponding property ID.

"There is confusion among buyers who are scared that they might end up buying properties under litigation. The database will clear the confusion and act as a one-stop destination for all details about the property," a senior official from the e-governance department said.

Owing to the lack of information, there have been numerous frauds and multiple court cases have been registered against a single property. Noting such developments, the Karnataka High Court had at multiple instances instructed the state government to converge all the information sources at one point.

"This can prevent fraud and minimise litigations. The HC had noted the need for streamlining this process so that people do not get into trouble by buying properties under litigation," another official explained.

The department is culling data from suit management modules at the courts and will integrate revenue and civil cases filed against a property.

At present, there are multiple applications to verify the property boundaries, ownership and encroachments. However, buyers have to consult various departments to check if there are any litigations.

As a part of the process, properties will also be mapped to various utilities including power and water supply. "The idea is that with just one property ID, details about the property like property tax, Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops (RTC), or power and water supply connection status should show up," a senior official said.

Mapping could also help local municipalities improve revenue collection by ensuring commercial properties pay higher tax and all properties come under the tax net.

Close to 70% of the integration has been done and property owners are being asked to provide information on property IDs and account IDs of power and water connections.