Searching for property information from the French Land Registry? Why DIY methods should be avoided?

July 13, 2021 - PRLog -- In a nutshell, 2 types of searches exist: You can either check who owns a specific property [a Property Owner Search], or carry out a property search by name i.e. search whether a given individual or company owns real-estate property within a defined area.

The forms (in French only) are rather formal. Applying for ownership information is somewhat of a minefield. If any of the below happens, your application gets declined and any fees paid to the registry are lost:
-          The information you put in the form, regarding the relevant land plot or building, is incomplete or wrong;
-          The property is situated within a condominium, such as a block of flats for example and you failed to mention what the property's relevant reference number, within the condo, is;
-          You emailed the form, instead of sending it by mail;
-          You sent the search form to the wrong land registry offices (there are over 350 local land registry offices across the whole country and no nationwide searches are possible);
-          You did not fill-in and sign the required number of original application forms;
-          Payment is either missing, or incorrect (fees vary depending on how many properties you are making the search on and whether you wish the results to be mailed or emailed to you);
-          All searches being primarily payable by cheque, you send a cheque in a currency other than Euro or drawn from an account held by a bank outside France, or made out to the wrong recipient.

Alright. But if I manage do this myself, I'll end up getting the results at little cost, won't I?

Well, yes possibly so, but please remember that French property records documents are in legal French. These are hard to decipher for the laymen. Even if your French is good, or you have friends whose mother tongue is French, understanding what the tax or land registry records actually mean is far from simple.

DIY search methods do not guarantee a good, comprehensive or even usable final result.

Carrying out land registry searches is a professional process. Hiring a professional ensures you get accurate results and rapidly get the information you need. Such information, being provided to you in English by a qualified French lawyer, can be relied upon in divorce or succession matters, or where title-holder is subject to insolvency or other legal proceedings your home country for example.

For more information, feel free to visit us at https://france-land-registry.com