• Honest Officer
  • 5 years ago
  • 2945 views

We were neither asked nor did we pay

Reported on October 1, 2019 from Bangalore , Karnataka  ι Report #214568

We had been very clear upfront that we would not pay a bribe. We had a good experience at the Koramangala Sub-Registrars Office in 2015 where we were not asked, except right at the end for a paltry tip (which too we denied). Yet, we had a palpable sense of nervousness of about how this registration would go (lest anyone should think we are prolific buyers- the earlier registration was not for me, and I only own one home, now :-)), and whether the seller would force our hand by not cooperating.

We picked Banaswadi SRO which was the nearest to our residence. We reached a little past 11am. We discovered to our shock that the office is on the first floor and did not have a lift. My mother who has a knee ache had to climb one flight of stairs. Later we saw far old/differently abled persons struggling to come up. The SRO needs to provide for better access to the differently abled and senior citizens and pregnant women.

I sat around for a while doing nothing as there is absolutely no direction on how to go about the process. Prodded by an impatient mother and wife who are rightly suspecting of my ability to work in unstructured environments (like a vegetable shop for example), I mustered courage to generally enquire and land up at a desk (to your right and left, when you enter).

Step 1- At this table, there are two people. The junior officer checks a ready reckoner and writes down in pencil the guidance value applicable to the property and the value at which the property is being registered.

Step 2- Get initials on the sale deed from the Sub-Registrar who is the only officer in a cabin.

Step 3- Take the sale deed and Demand Drafts (for payment of stamp duty and registration charge) to the four desks where furious data entry happens and where there is always a healthy crowd.

We encountered a very efficient lady with single-minded focus. She

1. data enters salient details from the sale deed into their internal application,
2. Asks the buyer and seller (all, in case of multiple) to take a picture at her desk on a webcam and provide left thumb impression and
3. Gives a print what is called a Summary document of 2 pages , asking us to confirm details, and make changes if any

Step 4- She then prints on the back of the sale deed, certain details from their internal application, like photographs, place for signature etc. and asks us to take it to the officer at Step 1

Step 5- We then need to

1. Sign on all pages of the sale deed
2. Sign on the designated places for signature on the back side of the sale deed
3. Fill up and sign what are called Form 1 and "affidavit". Most of it was in Kannada so am unable to say what they said, but relatively less important yet necessary documents!

Step 6- Go to the same desk as in step 1. That officer asks for your signed sale deed, property tax receipt, khatha certificate, khatha extract, form 1 and affidavit, and then sends them for scanning.

Step 7- Once the scan is done, it comes back with an invoice for scanning charges, which we need to pay (I paid in cash, not sure if there is any other option, so best to keep change; mine was Rs 565)

Step 8- I suspect it then goes to the SRO for signatures (not sure of this step as I wasnt really sure where the document travelled at this stage!)

Step 9- We take the receipt to an innocuous desk right opposite the four data entry desks (just outside the SRO's cabin). He scans the sale deed, affixes various kinds of stamps and several signatures and numbers, and then hands it over to desk in Step 1

Step 10- Desk 1 asks us to check and asks for a photocopy

I understand we can apply for Encumbrance Certificate from the next day. We were able to leave by 1.45pm, so overall took us two and half hours. Could have been reduced by maybe 45 mts or so if we were better organised.

Moral of the story: YOU CAN REGISTER YOUR PROPERTY WITHOUT PAYING A BRIBE!

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