What is a title clearance certificate, and do you need one?
It is an advocate's written opinion, not a government document — which changes how much weight it carries. What goes into one, what it costs, and the five things it cannot guarantee.
Guides
What your property documents actually prove
The government portals explain how to apply for a document. Almost nobody explains how to read one, or what it leaves out. That is what these are for.
Documents to check before buying land or a flat in Chennai
Eleven documents, what each one proves, and what a missing one means for the purchase — plus what differs when the property is a flat rather than land.
Encumbrance certificate: how to get one, and how to read it
The free online view versus the certified copy, what each column of the table means, and the four qualifiers that make a nil certificate far less conclusive than it sounds.
Patta and chitta online: how to check, and what it does not prove
Which of the two Tamil Nadu portals holds which record, how to pull a patta by survey number, and why a patta in the seller's name is weaker evidence than most buyers assume.
More are being written — parent documents and the thirty-year chain of title, and the title defects that turn up most often in Tamil Nadu.