Patta, chitta and encumbrance certificate: what each one actually proves

By Advocate Rahman · 17 August 2026 · 7 min read

In short

None of these documents is, on its own, proof that someone owns a property. Title comes from the chain of registered deeds. A patta is a revenue record showing who the revenue authorities treat as holder of the land. An encumbrance certificate lists the registered transactions and charges recorded against a property for a stated period. Together with the parent documents they build a picture — separately, each is regularly over-read. The most expensive misunderstanding in Tamil Nadu property dealings is treating a patta as a title deed.

The short version

Title is established by the chain of registered deeds, not by a revenue record.
A patta records who the revenue authorities treat as holder; it can be, and often is, corrected later.
An encumbrance certificate shows registered transactions and charges for a period you specify — so the period you ask for matters.
An EC shows what was registered. Anything unregistered does not appear on it.
Patta and chitta records in Tamil Nadu are obtained through the State e-services portal; ECs through the registration department portal.
Before buying, read the parent documents alongside the EC — neither alone is enough.

What does a patta actually establish?#

A patta is a record maintained by the revenue administration recording who is treated as the holder of a particular survey number or subdivision. It matters — it is what property tax and revenue dealings run on — but it is a record of the revenue position, not an adjudication of ownership.

It can be changed. Patta transfer follows a transaction; it does not create one.
It can be wrong. Entries are corrected, and disputed entries are a common ingredient in title litigation.
A court decides title. Where ownership is genuinely disputed, the question is settled by a civil court on the deeds and the evidence, not by the entry.

The sentence worth remembering

A patta supports a claim to ownership. It does not, by itself, establish one — and a seller who offers a patta in place of the deeds is a reason to slow down, not to hurry.

What does an encumbrance certificate show?#

An EC, obtained from the registration department, lists transactions registered against a property during a period you specify — sales, mortgages, gifts and similar entries. It is the standard way of checking whether a property has been sold twice, or is carrying a charge.

It shows	It does not show
Registered transactions in the period asked for	Anything outside the period you requested
Registered mortgages and charges	Unregistered arrangements, or an oral agreement
The parties and dates of those entries	Whether the deeds themselves are sound
A trail to follow	A conclusion about who owns the property

Two practical points. First, ask for a long enough period — an EC for the last few years tells you very little about a property that changed hands two decades ago. Second, an EC is only as good as the description used to search; an error in the survey number produces a clean certificate for the wrong land.

What should you actually obtain before buying?#

The parent documents — the chain of registered deeds showing how the seller came to hold the property.
An encumbrance certificate for a period long enough to cover that chain.
The patta and related revenue records, and a check that they match the deeds and the survey particulars.
Tax receipts up to date.
Where it is inherited property — proof of heirship, and confirmation that everyone with a share is party to the sale.
Approvals, where the land has been laid out or built on.

Where partition disputes come from

A striking number of the partition suits that reach a court begin with a property sold by one heir as if it were entirely theirs. The heirship position is worth establishing before money moves, not after.

Questions people ask

Is a patta proof of ownership?

No. It is a revenue record supporting a claim, and it is regularly relied on as though it were a title deed. Ownership is established by the chain of registered documents and, where disputed, decided by a civil court.

How far back should the encumbrance certificate go?

Far enough to cover the chain of title you are relying on. A short EC on an old property is a common and expensive economy.

The EC is clean. Is the property safe to buy?

A clean EC is reassuring, not conclusive. It reflects what was registered, for the period and the description searched. Unregistered claims, heirship disputes and defects in the deeds themselves do not appear on it.

Can patta be transferred after I buy?

Transfer of the patta follows the registered transaction and is applied for afterwards. It is a step to complete, not a step that establishes the purchase.

Where are these obtained?

Patta and related revenue records through the Tamil Nadu e-services portal, and encumbrance certificates through the registration department’s portal. Both are available online, and both are worth obtaining in your own name rather than accepting a copy handed to you.

Where this comes from

Law stated as at 17 August 2026. Legal positions change; this is general information, not advice on your facts.

Advocate Rahman Enrolled advocate, Bar Council of Tamil Nadu & Puducherry. Practises at the Madras High Court in property and money recovery, family and tenancy matters. Writes and reviews everything published here. About the advocate →