Anyone who has bought property in Jamaica under the Registration of Titles system will recognise the familiar yellow paper title — formally known as the Duplicate Certificate of Title. Traditionally, this is issued at the end of the conveyancing process, showing the new owner’s name and address, with previous ownership entries struck through.
Because of this long-standing practice, many property owners and buyers assume that the physical yellow title must be in hand before a sale can even begin. In reality, the position is more nuanced.
This article explains what the law requires, what modern practice allows, and why lawyers sometimes take different positions.
