QUESTION: Dear Legal Wiz,
I recently got the shock of my life when my brother told me he went in to get a copy of the title of the house that belonged to my dad. He used the tax registration from a tax certificate that we found, and we continued to use to keep my now very dead dad’s records up to date. My brother tells me that the title that he received had different information starting with the size of the property from what actually exists. It is also strange that the location, although in the same general area, is incorrect. Can this really happen? How can it be corrected, as my brother said they told him that that is the only title in the name of my father showing up in the system?
Francisca Amber
RESPONSE: Dear Francisca,
I can well imagine your alarm. There is more than one possibility for this happening, if in fact this is the reality, so please calm down. The important thing is that It can all be sorted out with the assistance of persons qualified to assist you.
The process can be tedious so it is recommended that you contract an attorney who lives in Jamaica. The first stage is to double check your information, to be sure your brother’s report is not false. Ask you brother or someone you trust to retrieve any documents relating to the title that has been found such as any diagram or drawing. A history of the title, would be helpful, so ask him to request this as well.
Going through this information and with added research will shed some light. You may find that your property is without a title and not connected to the title in hand. So there will need to be some adjustments at the relevant offices.
If there is no title for your property, then you will need to apply for a title, but the method to be employed needs to be researched further before you begin.
Again as there are many possibilities that may have led to the title not corresponding with the actual property, you should rely upon someone qualified in these matters to assist.
For any further assistance, please send an email.
All the Best
Legal Wiz
