Circular No. 40164/23/2016, Building Field Inspection Guidelines, 5 April 2018
The Tamil Nadu Registration Department's Chief Controlling Revenue Authority and Inspector General of Registration issued Circular No. 40164/23/2016 on 5 April 2018, giving registration officers instructions for valuing buildings transferred with land. It identifies who must inspect different buildings and lists cases where a building field inspection must not be conducted.
What the circular governs
Circular No. 40164/23/2016 of the Tamil Nadu Registration Department applies when a sale or another transfer document covers both land and a building. Building field inspection is used to determine the value of the building for registration purposes.
The guidance was addressed to registration officials, including Deputy Inspectors General of Registration, District Registrars, Assistant Inspectors General and Sub-Registrars. It is relevant to parties registering documents that transfer land together with a building.
Who carries out the valuation
The Tamil Nadu Registration Department assigns responsibility according to the building's value and type:
- For an ordinary building, an Assistant Executive Engineer must value it when the building value entered by the registering officer in Form 1B exceeds Rs.25 lakh.
- An Assistant Executive Engineer must also value an ordinary building when the parties state a building value exceeding Rs.25 lakh.
- Special buildings, including theatres, mills and factories, must be valued by an Assistant Executive Engineer.
- Buildings valued below Rs.25 lakh are inspected and valued by the Sub-Registrar, unless an exemption applies.
When field inspection is not required
The Tamil Nadu Registration Department instructs that building field inspection is unnecessary in the following cases:
- Buildings valued below Rs.1 lakh in village panchayat and town panchayat areas.
- Buildings valued below Rs.2 lakh in municipal and municipal corporation areas.
- Buildings for which an approved building plan from a town planning authority or local body is produced during document registration.
When an approved plan is produced, valuation must be prepared using the measurements stated in that plan. If Form 1(C) shows a value shortfall, the deficit stamp duty, registration fee and compounding fee must be collected before the document is returned.
Family documents
The Tamil Nadu Registration Department prohibits building field inspection for specified documents between family members when the document holder has paid the prescribed maximum stamp duty and registration fee. The listed documents include settlement, partition and release documents classifiable under section 55(a) of the Indian Stamp Act.
This summary is generated from the source document to help you find what is relevant. The PDF above is authoritative. For advice on your own property, use LandLens One or speak to a qualified professional.
Common questions
Will a Sub-Registrar inspect every building transferred with land?
No. The circular provides value-based exemptions and says inspection is unnecessary when an approved building plan from a town planning authority or local body is filed at registration.
Who values an ordinary building worth more than Rs.25 lakh?
An Assistant Executive Engineer values an ordinary building when the Form 1B value exceeds Rs.25 lakh or the parties declare a building value exceeding Rs.25 lakh.
Is field inspection required for a building with an approved plan?
No. If the approved plan is produced during registration, the valuation must instead use the measurements shown in that plan.
Can officials inspect a building covered by a family settlement or partition?
They must not conduct a building field inspection for the listed family documents when the prescribed maximum stamp duty and registration fee have been paid.
