Essential Tamil Nadu Property Terms
**Patta (பட்டா):** The official land ownership document issued by the Revenue Department. Shows the owner's name, survey number, and the area of land. Updated when land changes hands.
**Chitta:** Revenue record showing the land use classification and details of the owner. Often confused with Patta — both are Revenue Department documents but serve different purposes.
**Adangal:** A village revenue record listing details of all agricultural holdings in a village — land use, water source, crop grown. Relevant for agricultural land history checks.
**FMB (Field Measurement Book):** A precise survey sketch prepared by the Survey Department showing the exact boundaries and dimensions of a survey number. Critical for checking encroachment.
**Survey Number:** The unique identifier assigned to each parcel of land in Tamil Nadu's revenue records. One survey number may have multiple sub-division numbers after partitions.
**Sub-division Number (Thandal):** When a survey number is divided, each portion gets a sub-division number (e.g., Survey No. 45/2A).
**Poramboke:** Government land that is not privately owned. Common types: road poramboke, water body poramboke, burial ground, temple site. Building on poramboke is illegal and structures can be demolished.
**EC (Encumbrance Certificate / மாசற சான்று):** Issued by the Sub-Registrar, lists all registered transactions (purchases, mortgages, leases) on a property for a specified period. Proves the title is clean.
**DTCP (Directorate of Town and Country Planning):** The authority that approves residential and commercial layouts in panchayat/municipality areas outside Chennai city limits. DTCP approval = legal residential use.
**CMDA (Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority):** Approves layouts within the Chennai Metropolitan Area. CMDA-approved land is within the formal planning area of the greater Chennai region.
**UDS (Undivided Share):** In apartment purchases, UDS refers to your proportionate share in the total land on which the building stands. Apartments are sold with an undivided share of land (the only part that truly appreciates).
**Absolute Deed:** A sale deed that gives you full, unconditional ownership. The standard document for residential property purchase.
**Agreement for Sale:** The binding contract before the final sale deed. Sets out price, terms, and possession date. This is when TDS obligations begin.
**GPA (General Power of Attorney):** A document giving broad authority to an agent to act on the grantor's behalf across multiple property-related matters.
**SPA (Specific Power of Attorney):** Authority limited to a specific transaction.
**Patta Transfer:** Updating the patta (ownership record) in the Revenue Department after a purchase is registered. Buyers must initiate this within 6 months of registration.
**Mutation:** Same as patta transfer — updating ownership records in the Revenue/Municipal records after purchase. Different departments use different terms.
**Guideline Value:** The Tamil Nadu government's minimum valuation for stamp duty and registration calculation. Published by the Registration Department and available at TNREGINET.
**Sub-Registrar Office (SRO):** The government office where all property registrations occur. One SRO per registration zone.
**Layout:** A sub-division of a larger agricultural land holding into multiple residential plots, approved by DTCP or CMDA.