The offices a Quezon City transfer runs through
Registered land is transferred where the land is, so a Quezon City property is registered with the Register of Deeds of Quezon City. The sequence is fixed and skipping a step stalls the whole transfer:
- Notarised deed of sale — it must be a public instrument to be registrable;
- BIR — file and pay capital gains tax (or creditable withholding tax, if the seller is in the real estate business) and documentary stamp tax at the Revenue District Office covering the property, then secure the eCAR;
- Quezon City Treasurer — pay the local transfer tax, and settle any unpaid real property tax, since a tax clearance is required;
- Register of Deeds of Quezon City — present the eCAR, tax clearance, and deed; pay registration fees; a new Transfer Certificate of Title is issued;
- Quezon City Assessor — transfer the tax declaration into the new owner's name.
The deadlines that generate penalties
Both run from the DATE OF NOTARISATION of the deed, not from the closing or from when the parties get organised. Capital gains tax is due within thirty (30) days of the sale, and documentary stamp tax by the fifth (5th) day of the month following notarisation. The local transfer tax has its own LGU-set period, commonly sixty days. Missing these adds surcharge and interest to a bill that was fixed and predictable the day before.
Where a Quezon City property dispute is filed
Real actions are filed where the property is located, so Quezon City property disputes go to the Quezon City courts — but which one depends on the action:
- Forcible entry and unlawful detainer — the Metropolitan Trial Court, and only within ONE YEAR (from entry or discovery, or from the last demand);
- Accion publiciana (better right of possession, beyond a year) and accion reivindicatoria (ownership) — the court determined by the assessed value of the property;
- Quieting of title, reconstitution, and title-related petitions — the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City.
Note the barangay step: where the parties reside in the same city, Katarungang Pambarangay conciliation is generally a condition precedent, and filing in court without the required Certification to File Action gets the case dismissed. There are exceptions, including where a party is the government or where urgent legal action is needed.
Before you sign anything
Two checks prevent most of the disputes we litigate. Get a CERTIFIED TRUE COPY of the title from the Register of Deeds yourself — not the owner's photocopy — and read the annotations on the back for mortgages, liens, adverse claims, notices of lis pendens, and Section 4 Rule 74 two-year encumbrances on inherited property. Then confirm the tax declaration and RPT payments are current. A tax declaration is not proof of ownership.
Estimate the transfer cost
Our title transfer cost calculator computes CGT, DST, transfer tax, and the LRA registration fee so you know the total before you commit.
Frequently asked
Where do I transfer a title for a Quezon City property?
With the Register of Deeds of Quezon City, after paying capital gains tax and documentary stamp tax with the BIR and securing the eCAR, and paying the local transfer tax and real property tax clearance with Quezon City.
When are the taxes due on a property sale?
Capital gains tax within thirty days of the sale and documentary stamp tax by the fifth day of the month following notarisation, both counted from the date of notarisation of the deed. The local transfer tax has its own LGU period.
Where do I file an ejectment case in Quezon City?
Forcible entry and unlawful detainer go to the Metropolitan Trial Court and must be filed within one year. Beyond a year, the action becomes accion publiciana or accion reivindicatoria, filed in the court determined by the assessed value.
Do I need to go to the barangay first?
Generally yes where the parties reside in the same city. Katarungang Pambarangay conciliation is a condition precedent, and filing without the Certification to File Action can get the case dismissed, subject to the recognised exceptions.
Is a tax declaration proof that someone owns the land?
No. A tax declaration is not proof of ownership. Always obtain a certified true copy of the title from the Register of Deeds and read the annotations on it.