Encumbrance Certificate Shows Old Mortgage: Correction Guide

Last reviewed: 13 August 2026.

Pull a fresh EC from the official state portal for the relevant period. Note the document number, year, lender, property description and whether a discharge or release entry already exists. Separately obtain the CERSAI search or lender confirmation. An EC and CERSAI are different records; clearing one does not prove the other is updated.

Classify the problem:

1. the lender has not executed or presented the state-registry document required locally;
2. the document was registered but has not been indexed against the property;
3. the EC entry belongs to another property or contains a clerical mismatch;
4. the state record is correct but CERSAI remains open;
5. the loan is closed but the original title documents were not returned.

RBI's directions apply to regulated entities and require release of original movable or immovable property documents and removal of charges registered with any registry within 30 days after full repayment or settlement. Where delay is attributable to the lender, the direction provides compensation at Rs 5,000 for each day of delay. Ask the lender's nodal officer for completion proof, not a generic NOC.

Your letter should list the loan account, closure date, mortgage entry, registry still showing the charge and precise relief: execute/present the necessary release record, file CERSAI satisfaction, return originals, and pay applicable compensation.

Obtain a certified copy of the instrument behind the entry. Compare owner, survey/plot number, boundaries and document number with the title deed. Ask the Sub-Registrar for the state's correction procedure and required documents. Do not assume a release deed is the right answer when the original entry itself belongs to another property.

State stamp duty, registration fee, parties required and correction authority vary. Use the official state registration department, not a generic national checklist.

Escalate lender deficiency internally and then through RBI CMS after rejection or 30 days without satisfactory resolution. For a public Sub-Registrar or public-sector lender, RTI can seek the recorded status, file movement, applicable procedure and copies held. It cannot itself alter the registry.

No. Ask for proof of charge removal in each applicable registry and verify through fresh official searches.

Registration indexes commonly retain historical entries; a later release or satisfaction may show that the charge is discharged. Confirm the local display and correction rules.

The direction provides Rs 5,000 per day where the regulated entity is responsible for delay beyond the 30-day period after full repayment or settlement.

• RBI handbook: property-document release and charge removal
• RBI Complaint Management System
• National Government Services Portal: state property services

• Property mutation documents
• Check mutation status
• Duplicate vehicle-loan NOC

Book: RTI Explained — A Practical Guide for Every Indian