In Tamil Nadu, the record is the risk. Title chains, encumbrance certificates, patta and chitta, FMB sketches, RERA filings and planning norms decide whether a deal is sound, and they are public but fragmented. A defect rarely shows on the face of a deed.
Reading the full record before money moves is what turns an opinion that a parcel looks fine into evidence that it is.
A thorough check reconstructs the title chain over 30 or more years, reviews the encumbrance certificate over 50-plus years at the Sub-Registrar's office, and searches for litigation, liens and attachment. It confirms ownership and succession, agricultural conversion and classification, land-use zoning and the building or layout sanction.
A 30-point verification organises these into categories so nothing is missed.
Findings are only useful if they are graded. Each is scored from Clear to Critical against Tamil Nadu statute, CMDA and DTCP norms and TNCDBR 2019, with the evidence behind every flag, so a buyer can price, fix or walk away.
An independent lawyer reviews the title and signs off on marketability, so the diligence carries legal weight rather than being an automated flag. For lenders, the same verification and a tracker can monitor the collateral through the life of the loan.