EC, Patta, Chitta, FMB: Tamil Nadu Land Documents Explained Simply

Buying land in Tamil Nadu ultimately comes down to four documents. Here's what each one proves — and what it can't.

Encumbrance Certificate (EC)

The EC is the transaction history of the property — every registered sale, mortgage, gift or release over the period you request. Pull 30 years, not the 13 many sellers offer. Get it online from the TNREGINET portal in minutes.

Red flag: gaps where ownership jumps between unrelated names without a registered deed, or a mortgage with no matching release.

Patta

The patta is the revenue record naming who holds the land — issued taluk-wise, with survey number and extent. A seller whose name is not on the patta needs to explain why before you go further. Verify free on the TN eServices portal.

Red flag: patta in a deceased ancestor's name with "family arrangement" promised verbally. Legal heirship must be settled on paper first.

Chitta

Historically the cultivation/ownership extract paired with the patta; today largely merged into the patta record for practical purposes. You'll still hear the term — treat "patta-chitta" as one check.

FMB Sketch (Field Measurement Book)

The FMB is the surveyed map of the survey number — shape, dimensions and neighbours. This is how you confirm the plot you walked is the plot in the deed. For any serious purchase, pay for a licensed surveyor to overlay the FMB on the ground.

Red flag: sale extent exceeding the FMB extent for that survey number. Someone is selling land that doesn't exist.

The order we follow at Addressin

1. Patta check (is the seller the holder?)
2. 30-year EC (is the history clean?)
3. FMB + physical survey (is the ground the same as the paper?)
4. Lawyer's title opinion tying it all together
5. Only then: advance and agreement

Documents are cheap; disputes are not. Every parcel we list has already been through this sequence — but do it yourself anywhere else.