What a title deed is and how to read it

Slovak title deed (list vlastníctva) explained: parts A, B, C, C-KN and E-KN parcels, and what to check before buying or selling land.

The title deed (list vlastníctva, LV) is the basic record of rights to immovable property in the Slovak Republic. It shows which parcels or buildings are the subject of rights, who the owner is (and in what share), and what encumbrances or restrictions attach to the property. Without understanding the LV it is hard to buy or sell land safely – whether a whole parcel or a co-ownership share.

Data on properties and rights to them are kept in the land cadastre under Act No. 162/1995 Coll. (Cadastral Act – zákon č. 162/1995 Z. z.). Official views and extracts are provided by the Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Authority of the Slovak Republic (ÚGKK) through cadastral portals (katasterportal / Portál ESKN).

Where to get an LV

For first orientation an informative extract from the official ÚGKK portal is enough. It is free, available without login, and suitable for checking LV number, parcels, owners and encumbrances. It is not intended for legal acts.

For a contract, mortgage or notarial proceeding you need an official extract – paper at the district office (cadastral department) or electronic via e-services (usually with eID). The official extract is fee-based and should be current; do not obtain it too far in advance.

When listing or searching for land, a map view also helps – for example on the Arealis portal (a map-first classifieds portal, not a real-estate agency) – but always verify the legal status on the official LV.

Structure of the title deed

Every LV has a number, district, municipality and cadastral territory. The content itself is divided into three parts: A, B and C. This division follows from the Cadastral Act and implementing regulations.

Part A – property body

Here the properties that form the property body of the title deed are listed. For land you will mainly find:

• parcel number;
• register (C or E);
• area in m²;
• land type;
• further data (for example use, location in the built-up area of the municipality).

One LV may include C-KN parcels, E-KN parcels and buildings. When reading, always check that you are talking about the same parcel you saw on the map or in the advertisement.

Part B – owners and other entitled persons

Part B lists names (or titles) of owners, identification data, co-ownership shares and the title of acquisition (for example purchase contract, inheritance decision). Here you see whether the property is in sole ownership of one person or in fractional co-ownership.

Notes also matter. They may flag facts related to the property or rights to it – for example a challenge to the reliability of data in case of dual ownership. Such a note can practically block a safe transfer until the situation is settled.

Part C – encumbrances

Part C contains easements, mortgages, pre-emption rights with effects of a real right, and other rights agreed as real rights. It states the entitled party (for example a bank or a person entitled under an easement), but not the amount of debt. From the LV alone you therefore do not know how much remains on a mortgage – that must be checked with the creditor.

An empty Part C is good news, but not the only thing to check. Even without encumbrances, Part B may contain problematic notes or a seal about an ongoing proceeding.

C-KN and E-KN parcels

In the Slovak cadastre you encounter two parcel registers:

Register C-KN – parcels recorded on the cadastral map. Their boundaries, area and land type are generally tied to the current state and are more binding for public authorities in ordinary practice.

Register E-KN – parcels recorded on the map of the designated records according to older materials. They prove the ownership relationship, but area and land type may not match today’s use. For E-parcels it is common that the actual land type or position relative to C-parcels needs further verification (map, geometric plan, site visit).

One LV may hold C and E parcels side by side. Before buying, compare the LV with the map and check whether the land overlaps other ownership (dual ownership). Dual ownership can lead to a note challenging data reliability – and then transfer is risky.

What to check before buying

Before signing a contract, systematically verify:

1. Identity of the property – cadastral territory, LV number, parcel number and register (C/E) must match the advertisement and the map.
2. Owner and share – the seller must be recorded in Part B; for co-ownership verify the share size.
3. Encumbrances in Part C – mortgage, easement, contractual pre-emption.
4. Notes and seals – ongoing entry, disputes, dual ownership.
5. Access and use – the LV does not say everything about a road, fencing or tenancy; supplement with a site visit and questions.
6. Currency of the extract – the status may change between preview and signature.

If you buy a co-ownership share, also remember the statutory pre-emption right of other co-owners under § 140 of the Slovak Civil Code (Občiansky zákonník). The seller should first offer the share to the other co-owners (except on a transfer to a close person).

What to check before selling

A seller should do a similar check from the other side before listing:

• whether the LV is free of seals and disputed notes;
• whether all co-owners and their addresses are known (for the pre-emption right);
• whether an encumbrance in Part C requires bank or other entitled-party consent;
• whether advertised area and land type match Part A;
• whether an official extract will be ready when the contract and cadastral filing are prepared.

For E-KN land or older inheritances it pays to check early whether a geometric plan or settlement against C-parcels will be needed. That affects both timing and transaction cost.

Informative vs. official extract

An informative portal extract is excellent for a quick decision: “is it worth pursuing further?” An official extract is the document a bank, notary or cadastre expects for a concrete act. Both come from the same cadastre, but they have different legal significance. The ÚGKK portal usually states which extract is only informative and which carries a qualified electronic signature for legal purposes.

Reading an LV in practice – a short example

Imagine you are buying a garden. The advertisement shows municipality, cadastral territory and parcel number. On the ÚGKK portal you enter the cadastral territory and parcel number (or LV number if you know it) and open an informative extract.

In Part A you verify that the parcel has the expected number and register and that the area roughly matches what you saw on the map. In Part B you check that the seller appears as owner and whether there are more co-owners. In Part C you look for encumbrances. If everything is in order, request an official extract shortly before signing and compare the data once more.

If Part B shows several co-owners with small fractions, this is not a “simple” sale of the whole parcel by one person. Either all must sell, or you are buying only a specific share – and then the pre-emption right under § 140 of the Civil Code comes into play.

For an ordinary case this verification takes on the order of tens of minutes and can save weeks of problems after signature.

Short checklist before a transaction

• Do I have the correct cadastral territory and LV number?
• Do parcel number and register C/E match the map?
• Is the seller in Part B with a clear share?
• Is Part C empty, or can I settle the encumbrances?
• Are there notes in B about challenged data / dual ownership?
• Is the extract sufficiently current?
• For a share: is the pre-emption right under § 140 of the Civil Code resolved?

If you can answer yes to every point (or have a plan to resolve the issue), you are substantially closer to a safer land purchase or sale.

Informational content, not legal advice.