 Any Belize land transaction requires proof of ownership. These documents are registered at the Lands Department in Belmopan. Uncertified or certified copies of most Belize land documents can be purchased from the Lands Department for land in areas that are not yet declared under the Belize Registered Land Act. These document validate ownership and the history of the property. However, further research is necessary to ensure that the title is the most recently registered transfer and also to find any restrictions or liens on the property. Conveyances, deeds, Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) and Minister’s Fiat are some of the instruments used in areas that are not yet declared.
For land in a declared area, a Belize Land Certificate is the only accepted title. It is obtained by registering the land through First Registration which converts the old title to a Land Certificate. The Department does not sell copies of land certificates. However, you can purchase a copy of the register and which shows the name of the owner and other details if the property is registered. Frontline officers at the Registry check and accept documents to be registered with the Department. They also provide copies of requested registered documents and inform about the status of documents being processed. In declared areas, the Registrar issues a Land Certificate only after being satisfied with the evidence presented and the information is stored digitally in the Land Information System. First Registration requires a title search to verify ownership. Replacement of a Land Certificate general takes awhile because of the need for scrutiny and publishing before a new certificate can be issued. At present the Department is running simultaneous Belize land registration systems. This can be confusing for some when dealing with Belize land matters. Those not familiar with the systems may make several trips to the Main Office in Belmopan where normally there are long lines. On most days, the staff is struggling to satisfy a demanding crowd. Identifying the property by its assigned parcel number in declared area or by its survey map information is a good starting point if you plan to get in line. Having, the name of the owner, location and size will help especially when trying to purchase copies of registered documents. Officers are generally helpful but they cannot retrieve your documents if you do not have proper information. The Mapping and Survey Unit along with the Land Information Center (LIC) provide maps. These Units are helpful in locating a property and identifying its registered map information. Survey maps provided by this Unit are necessary for research, property development and any activity that requires the property’s dimensions. The Debt Management Unit is responsible for land tax information. If there is a land account in the system for the property, a tax statement is printed and it can be paid at the cashier line or online. For those of you who prefer not to travel, we can wait in a line to submit or purchase your document if it is available. |
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Karen Blake
How can I find out who owns land left in a will if not resident in Belize?
sandragrant
Hi Brandon,
You will need to take your Belizean ID, a map of the property and the application for lease wich requires a $5 stamp to the Lands Department. If the property is available your application will be processed. A lease agreement informing you of the terms will be send to you if the lease is approved.
Brandon
How could i lease a 30-40 acre farm land that is government property
Mrs. Tandila Card
Good day. My deceased father had a lease land for over 30yrs. The lease expires in 2019. All I have is the payment receipts. How can I or will I be able to still live or build on the land. How can I lease or buy the land. Will it be possible for me to that. Or will the land go back to the government.
Please let me know know what options I have. Thank you. I want to build a home on the land but don't want to be told I have to go in the future because the land is not in my name.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Tandila.
sandragrant
Hi Coni
You can only purchase land leased by the Government from Government. However, you can have a lease transferred to you and compensated the leaser for any development to the property.
Before you pay, you should confirm that the Government will lease it to you and that the person is authorized to cancel the lease and apply for a transfer. You will need to pay the application fee and after receiving your lease you can later apply to purchase from GOB after doing the required development.
Please let us know if this was helpful and if there is anything more we can do for you.
Sandra
Coni
Is it OK to purchase a lease land from someone?? If yes, how do I go about purchasing a land with out a lease paper. The lease paper has been misplaced by one of the past minister when trying to make it property. Also the land is in his parent’s name. And I don’t know where to start.
Thank you
sandragrant
Hi Anne,
We recently recovered your comment and hope that our reply will be relevant still.
You can apply for a Grant of Administration from the Belize Supreme Court to claim his land. However, you will need to provide a death certificate and if he is still only missing that would be a problem.
Please send a requset from our contact page if you need assistance.
Anne Porter
How can I go about obtaining the land of my missing spouse? We are legally married and have children together.
Joe
Hi Grace, did you figure out how to do this? i have the same request. jkaisr@hotmail.com
Grace
How can i go about (the steps) to do a title search at lands department?
sandragrant
All land matters are registered at the Lands Department on Queen Elizabeth Blvd in Belmopan. Additional search for older documents at the National Archives on Unity Blvd, Belmopan may be necessary.
Kadz
Where can i do a research on a land thay was own by someone who didnt have any relatives and has been deceased for the past 20 years
sandragrant
With almost all crown land reserved, leased or sold, the easy way would be purchasing from a private land owner. This could be just a house lot with or without a building or it could be a portion of a property. Farmland ranging from 10 – over 1000 acres are also readily available. If you have cash that would be accepted. If not, banks and other lending institution would be willing to finance the purchase. In Belize squatting (unauthorized occupancy) can also get you land. There are two types of squatting. Some squat on unused crown land outside reserved areas. After a while they can apply for lease and eventually a title. This is risky as what may appear to be unused governent land could hold a lease or title and the owner can lay claim at any time, using the court if necessary. Others squat on abandon property or properties where deceased owners have no heirs. After 30 years, they can apply for ownership through squatters rights. Buying is always the best way to go and we can help to find that perfect piece of Belize.
Michelle bowman
I want to find out how I can own a piece of land. Let me know please…
sandragrant
You can use this converter http://www.latlong.net/lat-long-utm.html. Google Earth has an option to use lat/long for place markers.
ian
How do I change the old lat/Long reference given on land servay maps to WGS84 to use with Google maps?
Is there an online calculator?
Thank you