Following the commencement of the amended Schedule of Fees of Office, which took effect on 1st April 2025, the Chief Registrar’s Office issued a clarifying circular (‘CRC 6’) last week. Intended to provide certainty to Deeds Registry officials, conveyancers, and conveyancing paralegals, CRC 6 withdraws and replaces CRC 2 with immediate effect.
The circular includes the following key resolutions:
Mandatory lodgement fee
Referencing the now mandatory lodgement fee of R50.00, CRC 6 confirms that this fee applies per lodgement cover, not per deed or document inside the cover. For instance, if three separate lodgement covers are lodged, each containing a batch of deeds, the lodgement fee will be R50.00 per cover. Importantly, this fee is also payable when deeds or documents are re-lodged after a rejection or withdrawal.
Fees: Registration of leases
CRC 6 confirms the addition of a fee for the registration of a notarial lease, sub-lease, and cession of a lease, which is calculated on the consideration or value of the lease.
Bondholder consents
Crucially, CRC 6 clarifies how fees are applied to bondholder consents. For instance, a fee of R169.00 is payable for consents connected to the cancellation of a bond and the release of property, or of a joint debtor or surety, from a bond, per item 1(e) of the Schedule. Section 4(1)(b) applications also attract a fee of R169.00 each.
Notably, item 1(f) serves as a ‘catch-all’ for consents required for other acts of registration concerning the security hypothecated under a registered mortgage bond. While each consent must be lodged in a separate lodgement cover, endorsements under item 1(f) must include the phrase ‘Bondholder’s consent filed as BC’. In addition, the BC number must be recorded as a historical document – not against the property or parties’ names.
Payment for copies and transmissions
In a welcome development, CRC 6 confirms that fees for obtaining copies of deeds and documents are no longer charged per page. Instead, the new system now charges per document, regardless of the number of pages. This applies to documents obtained electronically or issued under Regulations 66, 67, and 70.
Where deeds or documents are viewed or downloaded through an electronic system, a fee is now payable per document. Similarly, the fee for transmitting documents or information applies per copy transmitted, not per page.
Noting an earlier amendment to Regulation 4A, CRC 6 specifies that Deeds Office fees must now be paid before services are rendered. The revision is reinforced in CRC 5 of 2025, which should be read with the current circular.
Exemptions
Finally, it is critical to note that statutory exemptions still apply. Accordingly, where legislation specifically provides that certain transactions do not attract fees, those exemptions remain operative.
For further information or to work with one of our specialist property law attorneys, contact us at info@stbb.co.za.
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