Situations we buy in
Sell a house that is not recorded in the Property Registry
If the house was never recorded in the Property Registry, it cannot be sold with a recordable deed until a title exists. In Puerto Rico the most common route is the expediente de dominio, a court process under Act 210-2015 where you prove you have possessed the property as owner and the court orders it recorded. Having CRIM in your name helps as evidence, but it is not title. We sign a conditional agreement, bring the attorney, advance the costs once it is signed, and buy when the Registry records.
How do I know whether my house is recorded?
You search the Property Registry section for the municipality, by property number or owner name. If the house has a deed that was never filed, the Registry does not know it. If there was never a deed, same thing. An attorney or a title search confirms it in days.
Typical signs it is not recorded: the family only has the CRIM receipt, a private sale paper signed decades ago, or the house was built on a piece of the grandparents' land that was never subdivided. It is very common in Puerto Rico and it has a solution.
What is the expediente de dominio?
It is the court process to record a property with no recordable title for the first time, governed by article 185 of Act 210-2015. A sworn petition is filed in the Court of First Instance where the property sits, with the description, how it was acquired, the neighbors and proof of possession. If nobody objects, the court orders the recording.
Before that, the neighbors and the government are notified, and anyone can object. The Puerto Rico Supreme Court clarified in 2025 that the petitioner cannot be required to produce an extra sworn survey certification when a survey with area and boundaries was already submitted. That matters because the survey is one of the big costs of the process, and it was sometimes demanded twice.
How long does it take and what is needed?
It depends on the court and on nobody objecting. With a survey done, neighbors identified and possession documented (CRIM, water and power receipts, neighbor statements), the file moves. If a neighbor disputes the boundaries or an heir of the original owner appears, it turns into a lawsuit and the time multiplies. Nobody can promise a fixed date.
What we can do is start the day we sign the agreement: hire the surveyor, gather the evidence, file. And keep you informed at every step.
What is adverse possession (usucapión) and does it help me?
Usucapión is acquiring ownership by possessing the property as owner, openly, peacefully and without interruption, for the period set by the Civil Code. The 2020 Code changed the periods, and transition rules apply to possession that began earlier. It is the legal basis of the expediente de dominio when there is no documented purchase.
If the house is in the name of a relative who passed away, the path is succession, not usucapión: see selling an inherited house. If it has also been closed for years, see abandoned house.
How do you buy a house that is not recorded yet?
We sign a purchase agreement conditioned on the recording being completed. That locks the price. The attorney-notary handles the file, we advance the costs once the agreement is signed and they are deducted from the price at closing with the breakdown. When the Registry records the property in your name, we sign the deed of sale and you receive your money.
We will not ask you to sign a private "sale" document without recording. That is what created the original problem, and we are not going to repeat it.
Frequently asked questions
Let's talk about the house
Tell us the town, how long the family has been in the house and what papers you have (CRIM, old deed, private document). We tell you which path it is.
Sources
- Act 210-2015, Property Registry Act (expediente de dominio, art. 185)
- Supreme Court, 2025 TSPR 45: survey certification in the expediente de dominio
- Act 55-2020, Puerto Rico Civil Code
- Recuperación PR: sworn declaration of ownership and supporting documents
This is not legal or tax advice. It is general information so you understand the process; the advice comes from the attorney-notary who takes part in the transaction. Last reviewed: October 15, 2026.