Maharashtra government tightens land sale rules for joint holdings

The Maharashtra Revenue Department has issued new directives to overhaul the registration process for jointly held lands, specifically targeting the sale of individual shares listed under joint 7/12 extracts. The move aims to prevent land fraud and reduce the high volume of civil litigation and family disputes arising from unauthorized property transactions.

Under the new guidelines, sub-registrars are prohibited from registering sale deeds for portions of undivided land unless specific verification is provided. If a seller includes an official ‘C’ copy of the land survey issued by the Land Records Department, the transaction may proceed without the consent of other co-owners. However, if this official survey document is missing, sub-registrars are legally barred from executing the sale unless every co-owner listed on the 7/12 extract provides a signed written consent letter and a formal No Objection Certificate (NOC).