Before you commit, understand what you’re buying.
Chennai & Tamil Nadu: the property, records and key documents reviewed before you proceed.
You are relying on records and approvals that were often created before you entered the transaction. We review them before you commit, and stay with you through registration and the ownership transfers that follow.
- Title
- Patta
- FMB
- Approvals
- Registration
- TDS
- Post-purchase transfers

Why Buyers Need to Check First
Before ownership changes, the buyer has the most to verify.
For most people, buying a property, whether to live in or as an investment, is the single largest financial decision they will make in their lifetime. The seller may have owned the property for years. Once you buy it, unresolved issues, an incorrect Patta, an extent mismatch, an unclear approval, an old mortgage, a survey discrepancy or a break in the ownership trail, can become your problem. That is why we start before registration: with the property, the records behind it and the questions worth answering before you commit money. Market conditions can move quickly, and you may feel pressed to decide fast. The paperwork deserves the opposite approach: verify first, then commit.
You are committing real moneyAdvance, your own funds, bank finance, stamp duty and registration charges.
You depend on someone else's recordsMost property documents were created before you entered the transaction.
Different records may say different thingsA deed, Patta, FMB, approval and the physical property may not always align.
After registration, the problem becomes yoursCorrecting an issue afterward is often harder than identifying it beforehand.
Our Approach
We don't start with a checklist. We start with the property.
We are not checking documents at random. We are trying to find out whether all the records around a property tell the same story.

Your Property
Ownership
Sale deed, parent documents, encumbrance certificate.
Revenue Records
Patta, Chitta, Adangal.
Survey Records
Survey number, subdivision, FMB, extent, boundaries.
Approvals
Layout approval, building plan, CMDA / DTCP and RERA where applicable.
Physical Property
Location, access, dimensions, construction, UDS where relevant.
Transaction
Price, TDS, loan, registration.
A purchase becomes safer when these records agree. When they don't, we help identify the mismatch and what needs to happen next.
Common Buyer Problems
A property can look perfectly fine and still have a paperwork problem.
Seller's name does not match the PattaWe review the ownership trail and revenue records to understand what needs correction or transfer.
Deed and FMB show different extentsWe examine survey particulars, subdivision records and supporting documents before you proceed.
Multiple previous ownersThe title chain and encumbrance history need to explain how ownership reached the present seller.
Approval position is unclearWe identify which approval applies and whether the documents presented correspond to the property.
Flat area or UDS questionsFor apartments, the sanctioned plan, UDS and relevant project documents need to be understood together.
Existing mortgageLoan closure and release documentation may need to be coordinated before a clean transfer.
Advance requested before verificationYou should know what has been checked, what remains unresolved, and what still needs professional advice.- Records remain in the old owner's namePatta, property tax, EB, water and related records may still require post-purchase transfer.
The Pinewood Buyer Journey
From property search to complete ownership
A coherent path from finding a property (optional) to holding clean, updated records in your name.
- Optional

Find
Explore Opportunities
- Seller identification
- Market insight
- Property / site visits
Already found a property? Start with verification. Finding one is not required before we check the paperwork.

Verify
Confirm The Facts
- Title & ownership
- Revenue records
- Survey & extent
- Approvals & compliance
- Legal opinion / specialist review where needed

Resolve
Find Clear Solutions
- Understand the issue
- Assess its significance
- Identify the resolution path
- Coordinate with the relevant parties

Register
Complete The Process
- Documentation readiness
- TDS coordination
- Bank-loan coordination
- Registration process

Transfer
Ownership In Your Name
- Patta / Chitta transfer
- Property tax
- EB / water
- Other relevant ownership records
Our Approach
If we find a problem
Finding a problem does not always mean walking away. We assess the issue, understand its significance, and coordinate the right people and next steps. Some issues can be corrected, clarified or renegotiated.

Problem found
We identify the issue in the documents, records or on the ground.

Understand its significance
We assess how serious it is and what it means for you.

Determine whether it can be resolved
Some issues can be corrected. Others may need clarification or further action.

Identify who must resolve it
We coordinate with the seller, advocate, surveyor, bank or relevant authority.

Resolve, clarify or renegotiate
We help you take the right next steps and coordinate the process.

Make an informed decision
With the issue understood, you can decide whether to correct it, renegotiate, or step back from the purchase.
How We Respond
Every problem has a coordinated next step
Common issues we find and how we help: here are some of the most common issues we identify during a property review, and what we coordinate next.

Patta still in a previous owner's name
Ownership-trail review and the appropriate Patta process

Deed / FMB extent mismatch
Survey and document review, and the required correction path

Missing or unclear approval
Approval verification and specialist guidance

Mortgage or charge
Loan-closure and release coordination

Title continuity question
Advocate-led title examination

You need finance
Bank and document coordination

TDS applies
Tax-process coordination with the appropriate professional

Records need updating after the sale
Patta, tax, EB / water and related transfers
Our role is to coordinate the process. Legal advice is provided by advocates, tax advice by chartered accountants, and banking execution by the bank.
Looking for something specific?
Explore all property services
Your purchase may involve more than due diligence. Browse Pinewood's complete property-service directory.
When You Are Ready
When the property is ready, we help move the transaction forward.
Registration coordination
We help prepare and review the documents for registration, and coordinate the appointment so the process runs smoothly once the property is ready.
TDS coordination
Where the purchase is above the applicable threshold, we help calculate and coordinate your TDS deduction, filing and the certificate issued to the seller. This is currently Section 393(1) of the Income-tax Act, 2025 for a resident seller (the erstwhile Section 194-IA, using Form 141 in place of the earlier Form 26QB), or Section 393(2) where the seller is an NRI. Confirm your specific position with a chartered accountant before filing.
Bank-loan support
We help prepare and organise the documentation a lender asks for, and coordinate with the bank so paperwork delays do not hold up your purchase.

After You Buy
Registration is not where ownership paperwork ends.
The sale deed may now carry your name, but the records around the property may still need to catch up. We help coordinate the next set of ownership updates so the property's records reflect the change in ownership. We don't disappear after registration.

Registered
Patta / Chitta transfer
Property-tax transfer
EB transfer
Water / local records
Ownership reflected across records

Buyer Scenario
What buyer due diligence can look like
Consider a buyer, we will call him Arun. He identifies a plot and broadly agrees on the price. During review:
- Sale deed: shows one extent
- FMB / survey record: reflects a different subdivision
- Patta / revenue record: still carries an older ownership reference
- Pinewood's role: review the records before Arun commits the balance consideration
Instead of discovering this after registration, Arun finds out beforehand. Once the issue is understood, he can decide whether it needs correction, clarification, renegotiation, or whether the transaction should proceed.
The right information before you commit can save time, money and stress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from buyers verifying a property before they commit.
What documents should I verify before buying a property?
At a minimum: the parent documents and current sale deed, Patta and Chitta, an encumbrance certificate for at least the last 13 to 30 years, the approved layout and building plan, and property tax and EB receipts. For a flat, also check the mother deed and the undivided share of land. We verify each of these against the revenue records before you commit.
Should I pay an advance before legal verification?
We recommend at least a preliminary document check before any advance changes hands. An advance paid before verification limits your options if a problem turns up afterward, so where possible have the records reviewed first, or make the advance conditional on verification.
What if the Patta and sale deed do not match?
A mismatch, such as the seller's name, survey number or extent not lining up with the Patta, needs to be understood before you proceed. Depending on the cause, it may need correction with the Revenue Department or clarification from the seller. We review the ownership trail and identify the correction path.
Can I buy a property if the seller has an existing mortgage?
Often, yes. It usually means coordinating loan closure and the release documentation with the seller's bank, either before registration or as part of the same transaction, so the property is transferred free of that charge.
What should I verify when buying a resale flat?
The sanctioned building plan and undivided share of land, the mother deed and the chain of previous sale deeds, occupancy or completion status where applicable, encumbrance history, and any pending society or maintenance dues, in addition to the usual title and Patta checks.
What should I verify when buying a plot?
The survey number, FMB extent and subdivision, whether the layout is approved, the Patta and Chitta classification, and boundary and access details, since these are the areas most likely to throw up a mismatch on a plot.
Who checks building approvals?
We identify which approval applies to the property, such as a layout approval, building plan or CMDA / DTCP sanction, and check the documents presented against it. Where a formal legal opinion is needed, our panel advocates provide it.
When should Patta be transferred after purchase?
There is no single fixed timeline; it depends on the transaction and on the workload at the local Taluk or SRO. As a practical rule, it is best coordinated soon after registration rather than left indefinitely, since records still in the previous owner's name can complicate a future sale or loan.
Can Pinewood coordinate with my advocate and bank?
Yes. We work alongside your own advocate and bank, or our panel advocates and chartered accountants if you need one, and coordinate the paperwork between them so you deal with a single point of contact.
What happens if the legal opinion identifies a problem?
We help you understand what was found and how significant it is, and identify who needs to act on it, whether that is the seller, an authority, the bank or a survey professional, so you can decide whether to seek correction, clarification, renegotiation, or not to proceed.
What is the buyer's TDS obligation?
For a purchase from a resident seller of ₹50 lakh or more, the buyer deducts 1% TDS, currently under Section 393(1) of the Income-tax Act, 2025 (the erstwhile Section 194-IA), and files Form 141 (the erstwhile Form 26QB). If the seller is an NRI, TDS is deducted under Section 393(2) at a different rate. We calculate and coordinate this, but confirm your specific position with a chartered accountant.
How long does registration usually take?
The registration appointment itself is usually completed in a day once documents, stamp duty and registration fees are ready. Getting to that point, due diligence, drafting and booking a slot, typically takes one to three weeks depending on how quickly records and approvals are available.
Found a property? Check the paperwork before you commit.
Tell us what you are planning to buy, where the property is located and where you are in the transaction. We can help identify the records and checks that may be relevant before you proceed.
- Local expertise in Chennai & Tamil Nadu
- Practical, transparent guidance
- Coordination across relevant professionals
- Support through post-purchase record updates
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