1. Importance of Signatures and Thumb Impressions

Both the seller and the buyer must provide signatures and thumb impressions on sale deeds. These serve as legal identifiers, ensuring the authenticity of the document. Understanding the procedures surrounding these is essential to avoid any potential disputes or registration issues.

2. Thumb Impressions at the Sub-Registrar Office

Thumb impressions are taken at the sub-registrar office during the registration of the deed. If the impression is unclear due to insufficient ink, don’t try to overwrite or reapply ink on the same spot. Instead, place a new impression next to the first one.

3. First and Second Impressions

In case of an unclear thumb impression, you should label the first as “First Impression” and the second as “Second Impression.” While digital registration has reduced these types of errors, this practice is still relevant for manual records.

4. Corrections for Non-Registration Documents

If thumb impressions are needed on documents other than property deeds, follow the same correction process by labeling the impressions accordingly. This helps clarify any mistakes.

5. Thumb Injury or Missing Thumb

If the left thumb is injured or absent due to surgery or any other reason, any other finger from the left hand should be used to provide the impression.

6. Severe Finger Damage

In extreme cases where all five fingers on the left hand are injured or unusable, a thumb or finger from the right hand can be used. This ensures that the registration process can continue even when there is physical damage to the hands.

7. Documenting Finger Impressions

Whenever a finger other than the left thumb is used for the impression, a note should be written under the impression stating which finger was used. For example, write “Left hand, [finger name]” or “Right hand, [finger name]” for clarity.

8. Labeling Thumb Impressions

If the left thumb impression is taken, you should label it with “L.T.I.” (Left Thumb Impression), followed by the name of the person giving the thumb impression. This ensures that all parties involved are aware of whose thumb impression it is.

9. Exception for Health Conditions

In cases where individuals suffer from conditions like leprosy or other diseases that prevent them from providing thumb impressions, this step may be skipped. However, the reasons for this omission must be clearly mentioned in the deed.

10. Changing Signature Styles

People may change their signature styles over time. For instance, someone might sign documents in Tamil early in their life but later switch to English. Others may start signing in English but switch to Tamil for cultural reasons.

11. Name Changes in Signatures

Sometimes, individuals add names of loved ones (such as a spouse or parent) to their signatures. In such cases, the deed must include a note explaining that the signature style has been changed from the previous one.

12. Adding Notes About Signature Changes

If there has been a change in signature style, it’s important to include a statement in the deed clarifying the previous style and the new one. This ensures that there’s no confusion about the identity of the signer.

13. Elderly or Shaky Handwriting

Elderly individuals may have shaky hands that make signing difficult, which could result in unclear signatures or damaged paper. In these cases, it’s advisable to take a thumb impression instead, along with a note explaining that the thumb impression was used due to hand tremors.

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