What is Torrens title?

Torrens title is a system for the registration of land. It was first introduced in 1858 in South Australia by Sir Richard Torrens, who devised the land registration system based on the system that was used to register the ownership of merchant ships. The Torren title system is now popularly used worldwide.

The Registration of land

The Registration of land

What is its purpose?

The Torrens title was designed to make land registration conclusive and fast without the purchaser or the transferee having to look behind the register to trace the transfer of the property’s ownership from the original owner to the present owner. The system was also aimed at resolving the deficiencies and limits of the common law and the traditional deed registration system. Before the Torrens title was introduced, ownership of land could still be challenged at courts because the existing system then was unreliable.

How does it work?

The land registration system introduced by Sir Richard Torrens works on the principle of title by registration rather than registration of title (the one that the old system follows). This means that the chain of titles is eliminated. So once your name is registered on the title register, you become the owner of the property without regard to all the other owners who precede you.