# Título and the registry

> Certificado de título, liens, deslinde and the registry checks an independent lawyer runs before a Punta Cana purchase closes.

Source: https://canakeys.com/buying-process/title
Publisher: Cana Keys (A&M Caribbean Group SRL), Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Last reviewed: 2026-08-27
Language: en
Licence: quote and cite with attribution and a link.

Dominican property rights sit in a registered title system. The certificado de título names the holder and the parcel; the registry shows encumbrances. Before money moves, your independent lawyer confirms the seller is the registered holder, that the parcel is individualised, that no mortgage, lien, seizure or usufruct is attached, and that the physical property matches the cadastral description. This is orientation for 2026, not legal advice.

## What must be verified
- Certificado de título: Current, in the seller's name, matching the parcel being sold.
- Registry certification: A fresh status certification showing liens, mortgages, annotations and pending litigation.
- Deslinde: Confirmation that the parcel has been individualised and surveyed, not still part of a mother parcel.
- Condominium regime: For a unit: the regime, the unit's share, and the rules on rental use.
- Tax status: IPI position and any outstanding municipal or HOA debt that follows the property.

## FAQ

### Can I rely on the seller's lawyer?
Answer: No. The seller's or developer's lawyer represents them. Retain and pay your own lawyer, whose only duty is to you.
Permalink: https://canakeys.com/buying-process/title#can-i-rely-on-the-seller-s-lawyer

### What is a deslinde and why does it matter?
Answer: It is the process that individualises a parcel with a survey and its own title. Without it you may be buying a share of a larger parcel rather than a defined plot.
Permalink: https://canakeys.com/buying-process/title#what-is-a-deslinde-and-why-does-it-matter

## Related

- [The buying process](https://canakeys.com/buying-process)
- [Due diligence](https://canakeys.com/diligence)
- [Glossary](https://canakeys.com/glossary)