Overview
Last updated
Last updated
Once the registered title deed has been received from the Deeds Office it is critical that the document is checked to confirm that it has the correct information on it. These checks should be conducted by the conveyancer and by the housing authority before the handover process. This includes confirming that the beneficiaries names are correctly spelt, that ID numbers are correct, that the beneficiaries marital status is correct, and that the property details are correct (erf number, street address).
Should the title deed contain any incorrect information, it is critical that an application be brought to the Deeds Office to correct the information in line with Section4(1)(b) of the Deeds Registry Act. This needs to be done by the conveyancer.
Failure to do so will results in delays and costs for the beneficiaries for any subsequent transfers of the property, including transferring the property out of a deceased estate.
Any title deeds handed over to the Housing Authority or any other stakeholder in the process should be kept in a controlled, secure storage location.
It is imperative that proper record keeping practices, preferably digital, are in place to keep track of which title deeds have left the conveyancers and been handed over to the Housing Authority.
When the title deed is available, the beneficiary should be contacted to collect their title deed as soon as possible. The communication to beneficiaries should inform them to bring proof of identity (preferably physical ID book or smart card) when collecting their title deed.
The actual handover process may be implemented in several ways:
By a centralised office within the Housing Authority
By local ‘pop up’ offices run by Housing Authority officials and / or in partnership with local NGOs or leadership structures
By leveraging private sector partners, such as banks who can offer safe, convenient and accessible branches for beneficiaries to collect their title deeds from
Regardless of which channel is used for the final handover, it is critical that a digital system is implemented to track and trace title deeds throughout the handover process. Similar to how logistics and delivery companies operate, each time the physical title deed changes hands a digital record must be created to ensure proper tracking of the process and, critically, to create a verifiable record that the document has been handed over to the correct person.
In addition, a digital title deed track and trace system can be leveraged to improve communication with beneficiaries. SMS or email notifications can be triggered based on the status of the document in the process, for example when the housing authority receives the title deed from the conveyancers, a SMS can be sent to the beneficiary informing them of when and where to collect their document.
A well implemented title deed track and trace system will help manage expectations of beneficiaries, improve the efficiency of the process, and build trust in the system.
Cost effective and easily implementable solutions are readily available on the market. See the case study (to be developed) on how the Transaction Support Centre used Detrack to implement digital Proof of Deliveries (PODs) for the title deed handover process.
Once the physical deed is handed over, the beneficiary should be made aware of the importance of the document and the need to keep it safe. Future property transfers will require the document, and losing it will result in having to pay replacement costs.
The handover process is also good opportunity to educate the beneficiary on the benefits of creating a will and how they can go about doing this.
