Know what your land records say before you divide, transfer, develop or sell.

Start with the registered title documents and the parent documents behind them, the current Patta and Chitta, the FMB sketch and survey number, and an up-to-date encumbrance certificate. Then compare them with the extent and boundary on the ground and with who the legal heirs or co-owners are. Where they disagree, the sequence matters: settle what the records and boundary show first, then ownership, then the documents, and only then any sub-division. See our guide to revenue records in Tamil Nadu.

It depends on where the difference is. Some mismatches in the owner's name, survey number or extent can be corrected by applying to the Revenue or Survey authorities with the registered deed, the FMB and, where needed, a licensed surveyor's report. Others need a registered document such as a rectification deed, and some need an advocate's view first. We first identify which record is out of line and which route fits.

The FMB (Field Measurement Book) sketch is the Survey Department's scaled drawing of a survey field or sub-division, showing its shape, dimensions and boundaries. It matters because it is the survey record of your land's extent and boundaries, so the deed, the Patta and the ground are checked against it, especially before sub-division or a sale. See our guide to survey numbers and land records.

Not by itself. The Patta is a revenue record, used mainly to show who is recorded as holding the land and paying tax on it. Ownership rests on the registered title documents and how the land came to you. That is why we review the deed, Patta, Chitta, FMB and the physical boundary together.

The Patta usually has to be brought into the new owner's or the legal heirs' names. Depending on the case, this may be triggered as part of registration or need a separate application through the Taluk office or the Tamil Nadu e-services portal. Commonly needed are the registered document or legal-heir proof, the earlier Patta, an encumbrance certificate and identity proof, though requirements vary. Inheritance does not by itself update the revenue records, and until the Patta reflects the heirs, a buyer, bank or approving authority will commonly ask for it. See our guide to Patta transfer in Tamil Nadu.

In many cases, yes: co-owners or legal heirs can divide land by agreement through a partition deed, and separate Pattas follow through sub-division. Generally, everyone whose share is affected takes part or consents, and sometimes others such as a Power of Attorney holder. Where heirs disagree, or a Will or an earlier family arrangement is involved, an advocate should advise, and in some cases a court may have to decide. We help plan the documentation and the signing, including for family members living elsewhere. See joint Patta vs individual Patta.

A partition deed divides jointly owned property among the co-owners. A settlement deed transfers property, usually within a family, on the terms set out in the deed. A gift deed transfers property voluntarily and without payment. A release or relinquishment deed is one co-owner giving up a share in favour of another. Which applies depends on the relationship, the terms, any consideration and the existing rights, and the wrong choice can create problems later, so confirm with an advocate before signing.

Sub-division splits a Patta covering a larger parcel into separate Pattas, based on a survey and an FMB sketch for each portion. Part of a parcel can generally be sold or transferred, subject to the applicable rules, but the portion has to be identified clearly in the documents, usually with a survey, and the revenue records then need sub-dividing so the new owner can hold a separate Patta. Whether other approvals apply depends on the land and its intended use. The process and timelines are set by the department; we coordinate the survey, the application and the follow-up.

Possibly. Tamil Nadu has a regularisation scheme (the Regularisation of Unapproved Layouts and Plots Rules, 2017, as amended) for plots whose registered sale deed is dated on or before 20 October 2016; an agreement for sale or Power of Attorney does not count as proof. Some land is excluded, such as water bodies, poromboke land and open-space reservations, and the plot needs road access. The application is made online, for an individual plot to the local body once the layout framework is approved, and for a layout to CMDA or the planning authority. As at October 2026, eligible individual plot owners can apply without a deadline, and the Government has extended the window for layouts to 30 June 2027 by Government Order. Charges are fixed per square metre by the type of local body and the authority's demand notice is final, so confirm the current position before applying. The authority decides, not Pinewood; we help check eligibility, assemble the records and coordinate with your advocate and surveyor.

A common first step is a fresh survey to establish the boundary against the FMB and the registered documents, followed by marking the boundary on the ground. What comes next depends on the facts and the response, and may include a legal notice, a complaint to the authorities or civil proceedings. An advocate advises on the route. We help arrange the survey, gather the records and coordinate with the advocate.

It depends on the records and the facts: whether the survey sketches, the layout or the deeds show a road or pathway, whether a right of way was granted in a document, and how the land has actually been used. We can help you check what the records show, arrange a survey and gather documents. Establishing or enforcing a right of way is a legal question, so an advocate advises on the route.

It helps to have a clear title and legal-heir position, records and FMB that agree, a confirmed boundary and access, and an understanding of which approvals the intended use needs from the relevant authority, for example CMDA, DTCP or the local body. Development is one option among several, so it is worth deciding first whether you want to develop, sell or hold. An advocate should review any joint-development agreement before you sign.

No. Pinewood coordinates the process: we review your records, work out the sequence, prepare and follow up applications, and bring in advocates and surveyors where the facts need them. Legal opinions come from advocates, and decisions on records rest with the Registration, Revenue and Survey authorities. Where an authority or advocate has to act, we work alongside them.