Everything You Need to Know about Encumbrance Certificate AP

Everyone works hard to achieve professional success in life and gradually gets closer to achieving one of society's most prominent goals i.e. owning a house. Regardless of age, caste, gender or religion, we all find ourselves in the turmoil of house-hunting as well as the financial and legal steps that follow. Funding the resources, contacting the broker, finding a suitable property under budget, signing the registration deed, and furnishing the space - are just some basic steps every homeowner goes through. But imagine waking up one day and finding that the property you have spent your money, effort, and time on is tied up in some legal implications or is promised to some other party instead. Sounds gut-wrenching, right? Such a situation will leave you stuck in legal turmoil while attacking you financially. To prevent any such instances, a person residing in Andhra Pradesh must request an Encumbrance Certificate AP. To know more about EC certificate AP, read more. 

What is an Encumbrance Certificate?

An Encumbrance Certificate is a statutory document necessary to show that the property being sold or purchased is not under any legal or financial complications. In other words, EC is the proof of the property's single ownership. The term 'encumbrance' itself means hindrance or burden. It means that a property is 'encumbered' if it is already pledged to any third party or has pending debt. To ensure that the property is transactional, EC is an imperative official document. An Encumbrance Certificate for land in AP is required when you apply for any loan against the property. The Registration and Stamp Department issues the EC certificate in Andhra Pradesh. 

Encumbrance Certificates: Types

Essentially, there are two types of EC or Encumbrance Certificates, i.e., Form 15 and Form 16. This means that any EC on Form 15 will be issued from the sub-registrar’s office in case the property possesses any encumbrances during the time the certificate has been sought by the applicant. On the other hand, the nil-encumbrance certificate on Form 16 is issued by the sub-registrar’s office in case the property does not possess any registered encumbrances during the time the certificate has been sought by the applicant. 

Applying Online for an Encumbrance Certificate 

If you want to apply for the encumbrance certificate online, you can simply visit the official EC website of the Andhra government and follow the steps below:

• Select the option to apply for EC
• Enter the details required for the application and click on update/save
• Put in the period for which you want the EC and hit the ‘calculate fee’ button
• Pay the required application fee and you will be taken to the ‘acknowledgement’ window, where you can take the print of the same by hitting on ‘view acknowledgement’

Documents Needed to Get an Encumbrance Certificate

To get an encumbrance certificate, you need the following documents:

• Details of the property and the title deed
• Any past executed property sale deed, partition deed/ gift deed/ release deed 
• The deed number along with the book number, date, and the applicant’s signature
• The document of property registration
• The document of the applicant’s address proof

What is the AP Stamp Duty and Registration Charge?

States have different fees for stamps and registration. 

AP Registration Charges: The present stamp duty is assessed by the AP stamps and registration department at 5% of the property's cost, while the AP registration fee is assessed at 1% of the property's cost. 1.5% of the cost of the property is the transfer duty charged by the IGRS AP. This is assessed in accordance with the rules outlined in the AP Municipalities Act of 1965 and the AP Gram Panchayats Act of 1964.

According to AP Stamps and Registration, stamp duty is a tax that Indian governments impose on homebuyers in order to modify the property title and transfer ownership to the buyer. The additional fee customers must pay to the AP stamps and registration department in addition to the stamp duty is known as the "AP registration charge," which is a type of documentation fee.

Instrument/ Document	AP Registration fee	Stamp duty	Charges
Sale deed	1%	5%	Rs 100 if value < Rs 50,000Res 200 if value > Rs 50,000
Gift deed	0.5% (minimum Rs 1,000 and maximum Rs 10,000)	2 % on IGRS market value AP	Rs 100 if value < Rs 50,000Rs 200 if value > Rs 50,000
Agreement of sale-cum-general power of attorney	Rs 2,000	5%	Rs 100 if value < Rs 50,000Rs 200 if value > Rs 50,000
Sale with possession	0.5%	5%	Rs 100 if value < Rs 50,000Rs 200 if value > Rs 50,000
Partition	Rs 1000	1%	Rs 100 if value < Rs 50,000Rs 200 if value > Rs 50,000
Settlement deed	0.5%	2%	Rs 100 if value < Rs 50,000Rs 200 if value > Rs 50,000
Mortgage with possession	0.10%	2%	Rs 100
Mortgage without possession	0.10%	0.50%	Rs 100

What is the AP Stamp Duty and Registration Charge on Wills?

Keep in mind that there is no stamp duty due to the AP Registration and Stamps Department for the will deed. A will deed, however, is subject to AP registration fees. A will's AP registration in the testator's lifetime costs Rs 100 plus any applicable user fees. The registration fee of Rs 100 must be paid in order to have the will registered in AP following the testator's passing. Additionally, batta and processing fees at actuals will be collected along with the enquiry fees.

What are the Benefits of the Encumbrance Certificate in Andhra Pradesh?

An encumbrance certificate is an essential document that shows you records of transactions related to the property in question. Those records can usually go back as far as 12 or 15 years. As a homeowner, this is your surety that the property is debt-free or singly-owned. Some most common benefits of getting an Encumbrance Certificate in Andhra Pradesh are: 

• If you want to sell the property further, EC is a binding document that is needed to seal the transaction.
• Banks and other financial lenders ask for EC when giving a home loan.
• If you want to use your Provident Fund (PF) account to pay for the property, you must have possession of EC. 
•  If the property or land tax goes unpaid for three or more consecutive years, then an Encumbrance Certificate must be submitted to the Village/Panchayat Officer.  
• EC must be submitted for the mutation process of the property (Khata Registration / Khata Transfer / Patta). 

What is the Process of Searching EC Online in Andhra Pradesh?

The government of Andhra Pradesh started processing the registration of properties in 1999. However, the entries stored in the computer database date back to 1983. Due to this reason, you can search for an Encumbrance Certificate in Andhra Pradesh post 01-01-1983 only. If you require transaction details dating before 1983, you must reach out to the concerned SRO office. 

To apply for an online Encumbrance Certificate in AP, visit the state government's Registration and Stamp Department official website - IGRS Andhra Pradesh. Steps for getting IGRS Encumbrance Certificate in AP are: 

Visit the official state portal of the Registration and Stamps Department of Andhra Pradesh for your copy of the online EC AP. Now, look for the services category on the top-right section of the webpage. To proceed, click on Encumbrance Search (EC). Next, you will be redirected to a new page.  

You will see the 'encumbrance Statement' on your screen. This document includes the details regarding the IGRS AP Encumbrance Certificate and a legal disclaimer. After reading the guidelines, click submit. 

You can search for the Encumbrance Certificate by using the document number, memo number or a none option.  

Search EC in Andhra Pradesh online using document number:

From the given search criteria's drop-down menu, select the document number option and year of registration. Next, enter the registered SRO, verify the captcha code and click on the submit button.

You will then be able to see the details of that particular property. 

Search EC in Andhra Pradesh online using memo number:

From the given drop-down menu, select the memo number and the year of registration. Then enter the registered SRO, verify the captcha code and click on the submit button. 

Search EC in Andhra Pradesh online using none option:

If you select the none option, the site will redirect you to a new page. Here you will have to fill out the form. Enter the below-mentioned details:

• District
• Applicant Name
• Building details
• Site or agricultural land details
• Boundary details
• SRO

Enter the details, verify the captcha code and click on the submit button. You will be redirected to an EC statement where you will need to follow the mentioned guidelines. 

What is the Application Fee for Getting IGRS EC in Andhra Pradesh?

S.No	Service duration	Applicable Fee
1	Up to 30 years and less	Rs. 200
2	More than 30 years	Rs. 500

How to Get EC Issued Online in Ap?

Step 1 - Go to the IGRS AP website and look for the 'New Initiatives' column in the centre bottom part of the webpage. From the options displayed on the screen, select 'online EC'.  

Step 2 - You will be forwarded to a 'Citizen Registration' form. If you are using the web portal for the first time and don't have a login ID and password, register yourself by entering the details like Name, Password, Mobile No., Aadhar No., Email address, Residential address, User ID and Password. Verify the captcha code before proceeding. 

Step 3 - If you already have a login ID and password assigned, skip step-2 and proceed by entering your credentials on the 'Public Online Services' page. Enter the required details to get house EC online in Andhra Pradesh.

Step 4 - Select Encumbrance Certificate and enter the document number, year of registration and SRO code. Then, click on the submit button. 

Step 5 - You will then be able to see all the details of the property. Verify and click next. Now, you will be able to choose between the options of a signed or unsigned Encumbrance Certificate. 

Step 6 - Select 'unsigned certificate' option. You will then be redirected to a new page. 

Step 7 - On the left-hand side of the screen, you will see a 'select all' option. Click on that. 

Now, you can check all the property details and click on 'print' to download Encumbrance Certificate for Andhra Pradesh online.

Note - If you want a signed Encumbrance Certificate, skip steps 6 and 7. Instead, select the signed certificate option instead of unsigned. You will then receive an OTP on your registered mobile number. Enter the OTP and have the encumbrance certificate downloaded.  

How to Obtain a Certified Copy of the Andhra Pradesh Land Encumbrance Certificate Online?

Step 1 - Visit the IGRS AP web portal. 

Step 2 - Enter all the relevant details like the district name, SRO Location, Registered document number, year of registration. Then, verify the captcha code and click on the submit button to get a certified copy for Encumbrance Certificate AP.  

How to verify the Encumbrance Certificate from the Andhra Pradesh website?

1. Visit the online portal of the Andhra Pradesh government, the AP IGRS.
2. On the top-right corner, go to the 'Services' section and select the last option - 'Verify EC.'
3. Enter your department transaction ID. Click on the submit button. 

How to Apply for an Encumbrance Certificate through Meeseva Franchise?

Step 1 - Visit the nearest MeeSeva franchise centre.

Step 2 - Submit a detailed application mentioning all the relevant details like document number, year of registration and SRO name. Also, note the mode of delivery of EC preferred. 

Step 3 - Pay the appropriate amount to the MeeSeva operator. 

Step 4 - Your request for EC will go through the AP Registration Department, and you will receive regular updates via SMS on the registered mobile number. 

Step 5 - As the concerned authority of the area, SRO will process your EC request. Finally, the Sub Registrar officer will approve your request for the EC after proper verification is completed.

Step 6 - Once the EC request is approved; you will receive an SMS stating the same.

Step 7 - If your mode of delivery is courier, the EC would be dispatched from the MeeSeva franchise to the mentioned address. On the other hand, if your mode of delivery was manual, you will have to pick it up yourself. 

Andhra Pradesh EC: IGRS Importance

The IGRS AP EC is a crucial piece of ownership documentation.

In order to obtain property credit, banks request the IGRS EC AP. The financial institution is reassured by the IGRS EC AP paperwork that the property or land is not being sold.

The Panchayat/Village officer must be handed IGRS EC AP in order to have the land charge records updated if, for whatever reason, the property fee has not been paid to the AP stamps and registration department for more than three years.

When taking back PF funds and developing real estate, IGRS EC is required.

What are some of the Most Common Details mentioned in EC?

1. Name of the applicant who has applied for the Encumbrance Certificate (online or offline).
2. The application form holds all the crucial property details.
3. Duration for which Encumbrance Certificate has been issued. 
4. Complete property details as per the Sale Deeds recorded in the Sub Registrar's Office. 
5. Transaction details for the said property. 

Why should Andhra Pradesh Citizens know about the Encumbrance Certificate

While the encumbrance meaning is ‘burden’ or ‘liability’ on your finances, it is actually better to have this step done. You must check that the property has a clear title before purchasing it. Obtaining an Encumbrance Certification guarantees that the asset you seek to purchase is free of any legal or financial obligations. It is critical to correct any charges on the EC before proceeding with the purchase. It will also assist you in determining whether any current owners have legal claim to the land. Besides that, if you want to get a loan for buying a house, a land EC is one of the key documents you'll have to submit to your lender or bank.

Especially in India, where provisions as per law can be a bit complicated to navigate and understand and it is best that this vital step of EC registration is done. In Andhra Pradesh, the laws of the state can also differ from others, and is, therefore, very important to safeguard your’s as well as your property’s interests. In present day, the process has also become simpler as online EC applications can be done from the comfort of your home.

Is an Encumbrance Certificate enough to Declare a Property Hassle-free?

Encumbrance Certificate AP is an official document that shows all the property and transaction details lodged in the Sub Registrar's Office. However, it does not show any information that the property owner has not registered to the concerned authorities in the respective area. Therefore, it is advised that all buyers complete a thorough legal check and due diligence before purchasing the property. 

As a homeowner, you need to cross many financial and legal hurdles. Apart from arranging the budget for the down payment, setting up monthly EMI's and finding the property that suits you best, you also have to ensure that you are not investing in the wrong place. If you end up purchasing a property for which a previous loan has not been cleared or is promised to any third party, you might end up as a victim of land fraud. Therefore, it is necessary to have all the essential official documents to prevent any court cases and waste all the effort and money. One such important document is the Encumbrance Certificate. Word 'encumbrance' itself means an impediment or burden. This means that the Encumbrance Certificate helps prove that the property is free from any financial or legal ties. In addition, an EC might help you see all the past transaction details for the said property. If you are also looking for a property in Andhra Pradesh and need guidance with official documents like Encumbrance Certificate AP, contact NoBroker professionals for step-by-step aid, all for a minimal cost. 

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