Deeds Registries Act, 1937 (Act No. 47 of 1937)Chapter III : Registration of LandTransfer of Land33. Registration of title by other than the ordinary procedure |
| (1) | Any person who has acquired in any manner, other than by expropriation, the right to the ownership of immovable property registered in the name of any other person and who is unable to procure registration thereof in his name in the usual manner and according to the sequence of the successive transactions in pursuance of which the right to the ownership of such property has devolved upon him, may apply to the court by petition for an order authorizing the registration in his name of such property. |
| (2) | [Section 33(2) deleted by section 11 of Act No. 14 of 1993] |
| (3) | Every petition to the court under the provisions of this section shall be lodged with the registrar of the said court and the allegations contained in such petition shall be supported by sworn declarations and all available documentary evidence which the applicant may be able to adduce. |
| (4) | Every such petition shall be laid before one of the judges in chambers, who shall make such order thereon as to him shall seem fit, and any such judge may order that any matter arising upon any such petition shall be argued before and determined by the full court. |
| (5) | The court considering any petition for registration of title, may, if such court shall deem it expedient to do so, grant a rule nisi setting forth the description of the immovable property mentioned in such petition, and calling upon all persons claiming to have any right or title to such property to appear and establish their claims to the same upon a day to be named in the rule, and may give directions as to the mode of service or publication of such rule. |
| (6) | Upon the return day of any such rule granted as aforesaid, and no cause being shown to the contrary, the court may order the registrar of deeds to register the property mentioned in such order as the property of the person therein named, subject to such terms and conditions as may be therein mentioned. |
| (7) | In case any person should appear to show cause against any rule nisi granted as aforesaid, the court may, if it shall see fit to do so, and without the issue of any summons, require any issue of fact to be tried upon pleadings or make such order as will determine the matter in controversy. |
| (8) | Subject to the terms of any order made under this section any deed of transfer passed in pursuance of such order shall be passed subject to every condition, servitude, bond or other encumbrance to which, according to the records of the deeds registry, the property to which the application relates, is subject, and the registrar shall, in connection with such condition, servitude, bond or other encumbrance, make the usual and proper entries and endorsements upon or in respect of such deed of transfer in his registry, before such deed is delivered to the applicant. |
| (9) | The registration of immovable property in the name of any person in pursuance of an order made under this section shall have the effect of vesting such person with a title to such property which shall be liable to be annulled, limited or altered on every ground on which the title of such person to such property would have been liable to be annulled, limited or altered if such property had been transferred to such person in the ordinary course. |
| (10) | If in pursuance of any order made under this section the registrar of deeds registers any property in the name of any person, such person shall be liable to pay such taxes, duties and fees of office in respect of such registration as he would have been liable to pay if such property had been transferred to him in the usual manner directly from the last registered owner thereof, but shall not be liable to pay any tax, duty, quitrent or interest thereon which such owner or any intermediate holder of the right to such property may have become liable to pay, unless he shall by agreement have bound himself to pay such tax, duty, quitrent or interest, or unless the delay in obtaining the registration in his name was due to the neglect or default of himself or his agent: Provided that any person who has become liable to pay any tax, duty, quitrent or interest in respect of any property shall continue to be so liable notwithstanding that such property has, in pursuance of an order made under this section, been registered in the name of another person. |
| (11) | Upon production to the registrar of deeds of any order made under this section and of a certificate by the proper officer as to the payment of the transfer duty, if any, which the person named in the order is liable to pay, and on compliance with any other requirements which have under this Act to be complied with, the registrar shall register such property in accordance with the said order, by executing a deed of transfer thereof in the prescribed form in favour of the person named in the order: Provided that it shall not be necessary to produce the title deed of the property or a certified copy thereof, if an affidavit by the transferee is produced that he has been unable to obtain possession of such title deed. |
[Section 33(11) substituted by section 13 of Act No. 87 of 1965]
| (12) | The provisions of this section shall be in addition to and not in substitution for the provisions of any other law. |
[Section 33 substituted by section 15 of Act No. 43 of 1962]