How to Conduct a Philippine Land Title Search: Owner, Liens, and Encumbrances

Philippine legal context. Practical, step-by-step. For general information only, not legal advice.

The basics: what you’re verifying (and why)

A “land title search” in the Philippines means checking the registered ownership of a parcel and everything annotated on the title that could affect ownership or use—mortgages, levies, easements, adverse claims, court orders, etc. The Philippines uses the Torrens system (Property Registration Decree / P.D. 1529): once a property right is registered, it generally binds third parties. The Register of Deeds (RD) keeps the official record; you verify by getting a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the title and reading its Encumbrances page.

Who keeps which records

Register of Deeds (RD) (under the Land Registration Authority): Titles and their annotations; Day/Primary Entry Book (log of documents presented for registration).
Assessor’s Office (City/Municipal/Provincial): Tax Declarations (land and improvements), property card/map key.
Treasurer’s Office: Real Property Tax (RPT) records and Tax Clearance.
DENR/LMB/CENRO/PENRO: Land classification (public domain/A&D), approved survey plans, lot data.
Local Zoning Office / DHSUD & HSAC (formerly HLURB functions): Zoning certifications, subdivision/condo documents.
Courts (RTC/MeTC) & Office of the Clerk of Court: Cases, lis pendens, attachments, sheriff’s levies.
DAR / NCIP / Other agencies (as applicable): Agrarian reform coverage (CLOA/EP), certificates on ancestral domain (CADT/CALT), protected areas, foreshore and waterway easements.

Types of Philippine titles

OCT – Original Certificate of Title: First registration of the land.
TCT – Transfer Certificate of Title: Issued after transfer/subdivision/consolidation of an OCT/TCT.
CCT – Condominium Certificate of Title: For condo units; land and common areas are covered by master documents.

The minimum info you need to start

Any one of these is usually enough:

Title number (e.g., “TCT No. 123456, RD of Quezon City”).
Registered owner’s name and RD location.
Property identifiers from the Assessor (ARP/PIN, lot/block/phase, subdivision name, street address).

Titles are public records. Anyone may request a CTC upon paying fees; some RDs ask you to fill out a slip with the title number/owner and show an ID.

Step-by-step: obtaining the Certified True Copy (CTC)

Go to the correct RD. RD jurisdiction is where the land is located.
Request the CTC of the OCT/TCT/CCT by number and owner’s name.
Ask for all pages (front and back/annotations). If the title is an e-Title, the CTC will reflect that.
Optionally check the Day/Primary Entry Book for pending (un-annotated) entries affecting that title (present your CTC and request a search by title/owner).
Get official receipts and keep the OR numbers with your file.

How to read the CTC

Face/Title page

Registered Owner (spelling, marital/civil status, citizenship).
Property Description: Lot and plan number (e.g., Lot 3, Psd-____), area in square meters, boundaries, location (barangay/city).
Derivation: Mother title (if TCT/CCT) or previous TCT numbers.
Memoranda: Notes about reconstitution, re-issuance, replacement.

Encumbrances/Annotations page Each entry typically has:

Entry No. (document number)
Date/Time of registration (priority matters)
Nature of encumbrance (e.g., Real Estate Mortgage, Notice of Levy, Adverse Claim, Easement/ROW, Lis Pendens, Writ of Attachment, Affidavit of Loss, Reconstitution Order, Consolidation of Ownership, etc.)
Parties involved
Instrument details (Doc. No./Page/Book/Series of __; Notary; date)

Cancelled encumbrances will say “Cancelled by Entry No. ___.” An encumbrance that remains uncancelled continues to burden the land.

Common encumbrances and what they mean (in plain terms)

Real Estate Mortgage (REM): Lien in favor of a creditor/bank. A sale normally requires Release of Mortgage and cancellation of the annotation, or buyer assumes the loan with lender approval.
Notice of Levy on Attachment/Execution / Writs: Seizure to secure or satisfy a claim; flags litigation/collection risk.
Adverse Claim: Someone asserts a right adverse to the registered owner (e.g., buyer under unregistered sale). Strong warning flag; understand its basis and case status.
Lis Pendens: There’s a court case about the title/ownership or use; buying is high risk until case is resolved and annotation cancelled.
Easements/Right-of-Way: Legal rights to pass, drain, or restrict building; often perpetual or long-term.
Restrictions / Deed of Restrictions: Subdivision/condo rules; can limit building type/height/use.
Tax Lien/Levy: Government claim for unpaid taxes; typically outranks private liens.
Reconstitution / Replacement of Title: Title reissued after loss/destruction; review the court/admin order and supporting documents.

Cross-checks beyond the title (essential due diligence)

Assessor & Treasurer
- Get the Tax Declaration(s) for land and improvements; confirm declared owner and property index (PIN) match your title.
- Ask for Real Property Tax (RPT) clearance and latest ORs; check for arrears, penalties, or delinquency sale/levy history.
Survey & physical
- Secure the approved survey plan (e.g., Psd-/Pcs-/Lot No.).
- Hire a Geodetic Engineer to relocate boundaries on the ground and confirm area/overlaps/encroachments.
- Verify the land is within Alienable & Disposable (A&D) area if origins trace to public domain.
Zoning & land use
- Request Zoning Certification from the LGU (and, if relevant, estate/subdivision approvals via DHSUD/HSAC).
- Ensure intended use (e.g., commercial, industrial) is compatible with zoning and restrictions.
Courts & enforcement
- Search dockets (RTC/MeTC) for cases involving the owner/title; confirm status of any lis pendens/attachments.
- Check with the Sheriff’s Office for levies not yet visible on the title (then verify if already queued at RD).
Sector-specific checks (as applicable)
- Agrarian (DAR): CLOA/EP restrictions, conversion/clearance issues.
- Indigenous Peoples (NCIP): Whether the land is within CADT/CALT.
- Environment/Waterways (DENR/LLDA/others): Easements under the Water Code (typical zones along rivers/seas), protected areas, foreshore.
- Condominiums: Master Deed, Declaration of Restrictions, developer liens, HOA/condo dues and arrears.

If you don’t know the title number

Start at the Assessor using the address/PIN/ARP to pull the tax declaration and map key.
From the tax records, get the declared owner and identifiers (lot/block/plan).
Go to the RD and search by owner’s name and/or property identifiers to obtain the title number.
Once you have the number, request the CTC and proceed with the title read and cross-checks.

Tip: In subdivisions, bring the subdivision name, lot & block, and phase. For condos, the project name, unit number, floor, and parking slot no. help locate the CCT.

Authenticity and fraud checks

Always rely on a recent CTC, not a photocopy of an owner’s duplicate.
Compare technical descriptions (lot/plan/area/boundaries) across the CTC, survey plan, and tax declaration. They should align.
Trace derivation (mother title to current). Sudden jumps or missing links are red flags.
Watch for reconstituted or administratively reissued titles—review the underlying order carefully.
Validate notarized documents (deeds, releases): check Doc/Page/Book/Series, notary commission status, and that signatories matched IDs and had capacity/authority (e.g., SPA, board resolution, Secretary’s Certificate).
For married owners, confirm spousal consent/civil status if the regime makes the property conjugal/community.
Possession check: Interview neighbors/barangay; long-term occupants, tenants, or disputes often surface here.

What a clean title looks like (in practice)

Owner: matches the seller (individual/corporation/estate/SPA holder).
Property description: matches the property you inspected on the ground.
Encumbrances page: either blank or only shows cancelled annotations; no lis pendens, levies, adverse claims, active mortgages, or unresolved easements inconsistent with your planned use.
Taxes: RPT fully paid; Tax Clearance issued.
Zoning: Certification consistent with your intended use.
Survey: No overlaps/encroachments per relocation survey.

What to do if you find an encumbrance

Mortgage (REM): Require the seller to fully pay and obtain a Release/Cancellation and have it registered before or at closing; or get the lender’s assumption approval and keep the lien until paid.
Levy/Attachment/Writ: Do not proceed until the issuing court lifts it and cancellation is registered.
Adverse Claim/Lis Pendens: Understand the filer’s claim/case; proceed only after favorable resolution and annotation cancellation.
Easement/Restriction: Ensure your project conforms; if not, reconsider or adjust plans.

Chain-of-title & priority principles (quick refresher)

Registration = notice to the world. Between two buyers from the same seller, the first registrant in good faith generally wins.
Unregistered real rights may bind the parties but don’t defeat a subsequent innocent registered right.
Tax liens and certain statutory liens can prime private liens; check carefully.
A decree of original registration becomes incontrovertible after the statutory period, but void titles (e.g., land not capable of registration) have different treatment—get counsel if you see public domain/ancestral indicators.

Special notes for condominiums

Check CCT for encumbrances on the unit and parking.
Review Master Deed/Declaration of Restrictions for use/alteration limits.
Ask the property manager for a Dues/Arrears Certificate and whether the developer placed any blanket mortgage on unsold units or common areas (and whether yours is released).

Practical workflow (buyer/lender due diligence)

Gather identifiers (title no./owner/address).
Get CTC of title from the RD (and check the Entry Book for pending filings).
Pull Tax Declaration(s) and RPT clearance.
Obtain Zoning Certification and survey plan; commission relocation by a Geodetic Engineer.
Run court/sherriff checks for cases/levies.
If agricultural/ancestral/environmentally sensitive: get DAR/NCIP/DENR clearances or certifications as needed.
Verify seller’s identity/authority/capacity (SPA, board approvals, estate proceedings).
Resolve/cancel any encumbrances; align documents for transfer (taxes, CAR from BIR, DST/transfer tax, registration).
Close only when all risk items are cleared and cancellations are registered.

Red flags that often save people from costly mistakes

Seller cannot (or refuses to) produce a fresh CTC.
Mismatch between title, survey, and tax declaration (owner, area, location).
Active entries: lis pendens, levy/attachment, adverse claim, unreleased REM.
Title recently reconstituted without clear basis; or multiple titles claim the same lot (double titling).
Land is landlocked with no annotated right-of-way; or sits within easement/protected/foreshore zones.
Tenants/occupants with long possession or agrarian indicators.

Frequently asked questions

Can I do this search if I’m not the owner? Yes. Titles are public records. Anyone may obtain a CTC from the RD upon payment of fees.

Is a clean title enough? No. Do the tax, survey, zoning, and court checks. Some risks (e.g., pending but un-annotated filings, tax levies in process, agrarian claims) may not yet appear on the encumbrances page.

What if the seller shows only a tax declaration? A tax declaration is not a title. Treat as unregistered land—riskier. Do heightened diligence and legal review.

Who should be on my due-diligence team? At minimum: a real estate lawyer and a Geodetic Engineer. For projects, add environmental/planning specialists.

Short checklist you can print

CTC of OCT/TCT/CCT (all pages) from the correct RD
Entry Book check for pending filings
Tax Declaration(s), latest RPT ORs, Tax Clearance
Approved survey plan and relocation survey report
Zoning Certification consistent with intended use
Court docket search; sheriff’s levy status
Agency-specific clearances (DAR/NCIP/DENR) if applicable
Seller identity & authority (IDs, SPA, board resolution, estate docs)
All encumbrances resolved/cancelled and registered
Closing taxes and BIR CAR, DST, transfer tax, registration ready

If you want, tell me the city/municipality and what you already have (title no., name, or address), and I’ll turn this into a tailored, step-by-step checklist for that LGU’s typical process.