ONE TITLE EACH?

Did you know that a land title can actually exist in more than one copy—with each co-owner holding their own?

Under Presidential Decree No. 1529, Section 41, the Registry of Deeds (RD) may issue separate duplicate titles to co-owners—but only if they request it. Each copy carries the same legal weight, and any transaction involving the property must be reflected across all duplicates.

Why would anyone want this?

One word: trust (or the lack of it). In co-ownership, there’s always that lingering fear that someone might try to sell the property without the others’ knowledge or consent. Having your own duplicate title makes it much harder for anyone to pull a move behind your back.

Personally, I haven’t encountered this in practice (yet). If you have, I’d love to hear your experience—photos with sensitive info redacted, of course. It’s one of those little-known legal quirks that could mean the difference between peace of mind and a very costly headache.

Just another real estate fact worth tucking away. 🤓