Obtain the descriptive statement of the land title (état descriptif) at the Land Registry (Conservation Foncière)
Agency: Conservation Foncière (Office Togolaise des Recettes/ Direction du Cadastre et de la Conservation Foncière)
The buyer should perform due diligence before entering into a sale agreement with the owner of the property by requesting the descriptive statement of the land title (état descriptif) at the Conservation Foncière. The descriptive statement will include all useful information regarding the property and its history since its registration. The buyer will be able to know whether the seller is indeed the owner of the property and whether the property is encumbered with mortgages or liens.
Time and cost: 2 days, XOF 14,500 (Total cost Etats Descriptif: XOF 2.500 (Droit proportionnel) + XOF 10.000 (Droits fixes)+ XOF 2.000 (Frais de dépôt))
A notary drafts and notarizes the sale agreement
Agency: Notary
The land and property code in Togo (updated on June 14, 2018) requires the sale agreement to be notarized. In practice, the notary will receive from the seller the land title and the descriptive statement of the land (état descriptif). The notary verifies that the property object of the sale is free of all charges and conditions including all kinds of unpaid invoices and will proceed with the drafting of the sale agreement. Once the drafting of the sale agreement is finalized, the parties will sign it in front of the notary.
The notary will also draft the request of transfer (la réquisition de mutation) that will be attached to the sale agreement and presented formally to the Guichet Foncier Unique (GFU) de la conservation foncière (Office Togolaise des Recettes) for the final registration of the transfer.
Time and cost: 3 days, XOF 250,000 ((Fixed fee for properties below XOF 22.500.000 and cumulative fee for properties above XOF 22.500.000).
- From XOF 0 to XOF 1.000.000 = XOF 100.000
- From XOF 1.000.000 to XOF 5.000.000 = XOF 150.000
- From XOF 5.000.001 to XOF 10.000.000 = XOF 200.000
- From XOF 10.000.001 to XOF 22.500.000 = XOF 250.000
- Above XOF 22.500.000 : Ordinary tariff (XOF 1 – XOF 2,500 000 = 4.5%; XOF 2.500.001 – XOF 5.000.000 = 3%; XOF 1 – XOF 2.500.000 = 4.5%; XOF 5.000.001 – XOF 10.000.000 = 1.5%; > XOF 10.000.000 = 0.75%)
Payment of transfer fees and requests the final transfer of the property title
Agency: Guichet Foncier Unique (one-stop shop) de la Conservation Foncière a l’Office Togolaise des Recettes
After the signature of the sale agreements by the parties, the Notary will deposit at the one-stop shop of the Land authority (Guichet Foncier Unique de la Conservation Foncière a l’office togolaise des recettes) the following documents (established on July 24, 1906 by the decree):
- The notarized sale agreement
- The request for transfer (mutation)
- Photocopy of the national identity card of the purchaser,
- The copy of the land title
At the moment of presenting the files for registration, the notary will also pay the sum of XOF 35 000 for the right of registration. Once the file is accepted, the land authority (conservation foncière) will assign a case number, and the notary will follow up on the request until obtaining the transferred title under the name of the new buyer.
Before transferring the property, the land authority will also check if the property title belongs to the seller, and if there are no charges on the title. If there are no charges, and the title accurately belongs to the seller, the transfer will be executed. The land authority officer (Conservateur) will then issue an order to transcribe the transfer into the registers. Once the transcription is done, the notary receives a copy of the new title.
Even if per the informative note N 036/2018/OTR/CI the land authority commits in delivering the new land title in 10 days, there are still some delays in the process, and some requests could take up to 30 days.
Time and cost: 30 days, XOF 35,000
