Transfer of Property on the basis of Registered or Unregistered Will

Transfer of property means transferring the ownership of the property. For transfer of the property, one has to establish his claim or has to prove his title. The same can be done through various documents like sale deed, gift deed, Will etc.

Table of Contents

Will or no Will

Whenever a person dies, someone has to manage his property and assets. There can be two situations:

1. The person has died after making a Will

2. The person has died without any Will (has died intestate)

In the first case, the property gets distributed as per the tenor of the Will.

In the second case, the property gets distributed as per the Law of Succession. The property gets devolved to the legal heirs of the deceased as per personal laws and relevant provisions of statute e.g. the Indian Succession Act, the Hindu Succession Act etc. whichever is applicable.

Registration of Will

As per the Indian Laws, it is mandatory to register the document based on which the immovable property having a value of Rs 100 and above is transferred. If a document which is required to be registered compulsorily has not been registered, the document does not confer any title. It is not admissible in evidence in court.

If the Will is registered, it is better. The registered Will is considered as a genuine one. The testator and the attesting witnesses appear before the Registering Authorities. It helps to ascertain their identities and add to the authenticity of the document.

Process of transferring the property

For transferring the ownership, the relevant papers are submitted to the office of the Sub Registrar.

Documents required are:

• Will – A Will can be registered or unregistered. If the Will is registered, it is in the safe custody of the Registering Authority. It can also be kept in the safe custody of a banker or a lawyer. In such a case a certified copy of the Will is submitted. If the Will is unregistered, attested copy of the Will is submitted.

• Probate – Probate can be demanded if it is compulsory or if the Will is not registered. Probate is a certificate from the court certifying that it is the last Will and is genuine. Probate is granted to the executor appointed under a Will. Probate is mandatory in certain States.

• Succession certificate – Succession certificate is required to access the moveable assets of a deceased person. Even if the Will is there but not registered, the claimant through the Will in some cases, is asked to bring the succession certificate from the court. Succession certificate is generally required for a moveable property like bank account balances, shares, securities etc.

There are certain other documents also which may be required/ demanded by authorities, depending upon the facts of the case.

• Affidavit from the legal heirs stating no objection to transfer the property to the person named in the Will if all legal heirs are not included in the Will
• Affidavit of attesting witnesses if the Will is unregistered
• Affidavit from the beneficiary of the Will to clear all the liabilities related to the property

It is always advisable to draft a valid and proper Will through a lawyer. It is better to get the same registered. It will help the family members later for a smooth transfer of the assets in the name of beneficiaries.

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