Deeds Registration

Deeds registration is a land registration system in common law jurisdictions. It is replaced by Torrens title in most of these jurisdictions now, although a few of them, like most of the United States, still maintain such system. Ireland and Hong Kong have both systems with the Torrens system gradually superseding the older system.

In contrast of Torrens title system in which basically the one who registered in a land registry as owner of a piece or parcel of land has an indefeasible title of the land, deeds registration system is merely a registration of all important instruments related to that land. In order to establish one's title to the land, a person (or usually their purchaser's attorney) will have to ascertain, for example:

• all the title documents are properly executed;
• "a chain of title" is established, i.e. the proper ownerships from the granting of the land from the government to the present owner;
• there are no encumbrances on the land that probably will harm the title of the land.