We all need to look at the cadastre from time to time. Most often, however, in connection with the purchase of real estate. You can verify the owner and liens in it. It is therefore an important step before you make a decision that cannot be reversed. In this article, we will therefore give you advice on how to consult the Land Registry and tell you what you can find there.
What is the Land Registry is defined by the Land Registry Act. It states that the cadastre is a publicly accessible list that contains information about real estate, its description, its precise geographical identification and records of legal relations to it.
This information is used mainly to protect property rights, determine the value of real estate, protect the environment and also for tax and fee purposes. People most often look for extracts in the cadastre, but thanks to archival documents they can obtain other documents that have been issued for a given property. In the cadastre you will find:
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Consulting the Land Registry has never been easier. Today’s land registry is fully digitised, making it easy to access information about any property from the comfort of your own home.
To access it, just visit the website of the State Administration of Surveying and Cadastre (ČÚZK), where you will find the option to consult the cadastre. Here you can search by parcel number, building, housing unit or simply open the entire map. It is free of charge and you do not need to register anywhere. The only requirement to view more information is to enter a CAPTCHA verification code (this is a simple transcription of the code to verify that you are not a robot) or to log in with Citizen Identity or a customer account.
If you prefer face-to-face contact to the online environment, you can also use the traditional way of consulting the cadastre by visiting one of the cadastral offices. In this case, however, you will need to provide basic information about the property you are looking for in advance. Namely, the cadastral area or the name of the municipality and the descriptive number, the parcel number of the land or the registration number of the proceedings.
Tip: Have you obtained an extract from the Land Registry? Read what you need to know about it.
If you choose the online option, then a cadastral map can be a great help. It is available in digital form on the ČÚZK website, but you can also use Mapy.cz with the cadastral map layer enabled or the ikatastr application. You will find a lot of useful information plotted there, for example:
In addition, after searching for a specific parcel, you can access information from the cadastre with just a click. You may also find the measurement function useful. With it, you can measure different distances and verify the size of the plots.
Tip: Learn how to search and read the cadastral map.
The most important data that can be obtained from the land registry is information about the owner of the property, specifically his or her name, surname and permanent residence, as well as details about the property itself, such as the plot number, description number or unit number and its area.
This way you can verify that you are indeed buying the property from the rightful owner. Other essential information includes any restrictions on the ownership of the property, such as easements or liens that may affect the sale or purchase of the property.
Unfortunately, there is also information that cannot be obtained from the Land Registry. For example, you will not find out that one of the owners has had the right to dispose of the property taken away. We therefore recommend that you request from the Land Registry a document proving the owner’s title of acquisition, such as a contract of sale or a deed of gift, on the basis of which the owner acquired the property. This document may indicate any restrictions.
Tip: Planning to buy a property? We will provide you with a complete contractual and legal service related to the purchase of the property. We will handle it within 48 hours, flawlessly and professionally.
You will also not find out from the title deed whether the owner is obliged to offer the pre-emption right to the other co-owners when selling a share in the property, which is information based directly on the law. A further complication may arise if the property being sold is registered in the land register in the name of only one of the spouses, even though the property belongs to the community of property. In such a case, the other spouse, who is not listed as the owner in the land register, must expressly agree to the sale, even though he or she actually is. This consent will always be required by the bank if you buy the property with a mortgage loan.
You will also not be able to find out from the land registry extract any pending or threatened foreclosure proceedings that are ready to be filed with the bailiff and may thus appear on the title deed before you acquire your title. This can only be discovered directly from the owner, who is obliged to disclose any legal defects of which he or she is aware, including the aforementioned executions not yet listed in the land register.
A change in the Land Registry may occur by means of an entry, a note or a record. If you are buying a property, it is the entry in the Land Registry that will affect you. It is only through the entry in the Land Registry that you become the official owner of the property.
You must submit an application to start the registration procedure on the prescribed form, either electronically, by post or in person. You must provide some essential information in the application for entry into the land register :
In case you want to enter a record of a new construction in the cadastre, then you must fill in the cadastre form entitled“Notification of change of land data” and provide a geometric plan certified by the cadastral office, a notice of completion of the construction or a consent of approval and a decision of the municipality on the assignment of a descriptive number.
The cadastral office has a maximum of 30 days to process your application and the application fee is CZK 2,000. You can pay it in person at the cadastral office (also by credit card) or by post using a stamp. And to avoid having to pay it more than once, you should get help from experts. As part of our service, we will help you with the drafting of the application for entry into the Land Registry so that everything is in order the first time and you don’t miss important deadlines or lose money.
Tip: Read what are the most common mistakes in the cadastral proposal.
Once you have submitted your application for entry into the Land Registry, you can start following the progress of the procedure. This is possible online and free of charge on the ČÚZK website. All you need is the procedure number assigned to your submission by the cadastral office and the name of the cadastral office under which the property falls.
And if you want to simplify the tracking even further, you can use the service for tracking changes to the property data in the cadastre. This can again be done online and free of charge on the ČÚZK website. The service will automatically inform you of any changes to the property in question via data box, e-mail or text message.
The Cadastre of Real Estate is a publicly accessible list containing important information about real estate and its legal relations. The cadastre can be consulted free of charge online or in person at the cadastral office. In case of changes, such as the purchase of a property, it is necessary to submit the prescribed form for entry into the cadastre. The progress of the deposit procedure can be monitored online, and the change tracking service provides automatic notification of changes in the cadastre.
Measure twice, cut once. That goes for official filings as well. Enrolment in the Land Registry is a formality, but a very important formality that is not to be underestimated. Do you need to register an easement in the Land Registry? Or a lien so you don’t lose the money you borrowed?
Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 10 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.
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