Pursuant to the commencement of the revised Schedule of Fees of Office on Tuesday, 1st April, and the imminent commencement of the amended Regulations to the Deeds Registries Act (‘the Regulations’), the Chief Registrar has issued another circular (‘CRC 5’) clarifying payment requirements.
According to new Regulation 4A(2), all prescribed fees must be paid before any services are rendered by the Deeds Registry. In practice, this means:
- The prescribed lodgement fee must be paid upon lodgement of deeds and documents for registration purposes; and
- The prescribed registration fee must be paid prior to registration of such deed/document.
An important element of the intended full-scale implementation of an electronic deeds registration system (‘the e-DRS’) is to provide for the online payment of fees for services rendered, including the electronic lodgement of deeds and documents for registration. To that end, CRC 5 confirms that the e-DRS will:
- Facilitate secure online payment integration to support numerous payment methods, including EFT, debit card, and credit card; and
- Automatically initiate pre-payment of the relevant fees.
As of 1st August 2025, or an earlier date to be communicated, all payments in respect of the rendering of services relating to the manual lodgement and registration of deeds or documents must be performed upfront.
Additionally, CRC 5 clarifies that the method of billing for the manual lodgement and registration of deeds or documents remains in place until 31st July 2025.
For further information or to consult with a property lawyer, contact us at info@stbb.co.za.
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