The journey of buying or selling an immovable property like real estate is not an easy one. It not only involves a huge sum of money but is also loaded with the know-how of legal matters and documents. In the absence of digitised land records in many states of our country, one should be very diligent and extra-careful while carrying out any real estate transactions.
As a part of our real estate documents series, we will talk about the 7/12 or the Satbara Utara Extract in this post.
The Satbara (7/12) Extract
This is a document that is an extract of the land records from the books of the Revenue Department of the Government. The Satbara extract is particularly needed when you plan to buy land.
It contains relevant information like the survey number of the piece of the land, the area, details of ownership like name, date of registration, etc.
Why is it Called the 7/12 Extract?
The Satbara extract is a combination of two forms from the Village Records (Revenue Dept), hence the name.
Form 7 is the record for details of the owner and his rights over the said property. This includes details like payment of tax, disputes, loans on the land if any, etc
The other Form 12 is the record of agricultural aspects of the land, including crops grown, if cultivated by a person other than the owner, etc.
The information that you get when you apply for an extract is a combination of both the forms mentioned above (7 & 12), hence the name Satbara Utara.
Here, it is pertinent to mention that the name Satbara Utara is mainly used in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, but the extract which may be called by some other name in other states serves the same purpose.
Why is the 7/12 Extract Important?
The 7/12 document is an essential document while purchasing any land to look up for ownership of ancestral land. This helps in checking for disputes or litigations on the land if any. 7/12 is also useful in checking the exact location of the property as all the natural aspects of the land are also recorded on the forms.
Besides, one can also check all the activities that have been carried out on the land, like farming or cultivation of crops or used for some other activity or if it has been an empty piece of land all through.
How Do You Apply For 7/12 Extract?
With many states going in for digitisation of land records, there are apps available for checking the land records.
For example, the state of Maharashtra has its App Mahabhulekh through which you can get 7/12 extract. Karnataka also has a similar service through its Bhoomi website and app.
However, it is possible that not all records are available through digital means.
So, you can also apply for the 7/12 extract at your Village Records or Tahasildar’s office or appropriate urban bodies.
As an ending word of caution, we would like to tell you that the 7/12 extract cannot be considered as the Title to the Property, as it is only a record of the land for revenue purpose. It can show ownership but does not give the title.
