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Maltese Laws |
PUBLIC REGISTRY ACT
To repeal and to re-enact with amendments the law relating to the Public
Registry.
12th May, 1927
ACT XII of 1927, as amended by Act IV of 1928; Ordinances: XXV of
1938, XL of 1939 and XXIV of 1940; Acts: XXIX of 1948 and VI of 1951; Legal Notice 4 of 1963; and Acts: XXV of 1963, III and XXIII of 1967, III
of 1969, V of 1912, XI of 1973, VI of 1974, XXXV of 1979, XIII of 1983, XVII of 1984, XII and XXXI of 1986; Legal Notice 71 of 1987; Act XXXVII
of 1988; Legal Notice 121 of 1993; Act III of 1994; Legal Notice 211 of
1997; Act IX of 2000; and Legal Notices 262 of 2000, 290 of 2001, 7 and
390 of 2002, 353 of 2004, 408 of 2007 and 99 of 2008. Incorporating also
Articles 7(2), 8, 11 and 12 of, and Form annexed to Ordinance XIII of
1895.
(2) In the Public Registry Office of Valletta (Malta) there shall also be Assistant Directors who shall be so designated b y the
Director from among the officers referred to in sub-article (1) of article 306 of the Civil Code.
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of article 306 of the Civil Code, any reference made to the Director in articles 35 and 37 shall not be construed as including a reference to any other officer referred
to in this article.
(4) Before entering upon the duties of their office, the officers referred to in this article shall take before the Court of Appeal
the oath of allegiance set out in the Constitution of Malta, and the oath of office as follows:
‘I.......................................... promise and swear to observe faithfully all the laws of Malta relating to my office and
to perform faithfully and with all honesty and exactness the duties of Director/ Assistant Director/Officer of /in the Public Registry
to the best of my knowledge and ability. So help me God.’
Title.
A Public Registry Office in Valletta (Malta) and another in Victoria (Gozo).
Director of Public
Registry.
Amended by:
III. 1967.2;
XXIII.1967.2;
XXXV.1979.2;
XXXI. 1986.2.
Substituted by:
III.1994.12.
Officer in, and Assistant Directors of, the Public Registry.
Cap.16.
Oaths.
Registrations and enrolments to be made in the Malta and in the Gozo office.
Amended by: XXV. 1938.2.
(2) There shall also be made in the said office of Valletta (Malta) all enrolments relating to acts received by notaries
residing in the Island of Gozo or Comino or relating to judgments or decrees deli vered or given b y the courts of ju sti ce i n
the said Island of Gozo, when such acts, judgments or decrees relate to immovables situate in the Island of Malta.
(3) In the office of Victoria (Gozo) there shall only be made such registrations of causes of preference respecting debtors, who,
in the respective notes, are described as ordinarily residing in the Island of Gozo or Comi no, an d all enrol m en ts relati ng
to acts received by notaries residing in the Island of Gozo or Comino, or relating to judgments or decrees delivered or given by
the courts of justice in the Island of Gozo.
(4) There shall also be made in the said office of Victoria (Gozo) all enrolments relating to acts received by notaries
residing in the Island of Malta or relating to judgments or decrees delivered or given by the courts of justice in the said Island
of Malta when such acts, judgments or decrees relate to immovables situate in the Island of Gozo or Comino.
The Director shall not receive notes not drawn up according to law. Amended by:
XXV. 1979.3; XVII. 1984.2.
(2) Every note for the registration of any cause of preference among credit ors shall be drawn up according to Form A in the Second
Schedule hereto and any note of reference to the same shall be drawn up according to Form B in the said Schedule.
(3) A note for the enrolment of an Act or for the registration of a cause of preference and any note of reference to the same shall
be typewritten or printed in dark, clear, easily legible and indelible characters, on paper authorized by the Director; and there
shall be deposited at the Public Registry, together with the note, a clear copy thereof.
(4) No note, whether for registration or enrolment, shall contain any figures or numbers which have not at least in the
first instance , be en written out in wo rd s, an d no co rrection shall be made in any such note.
(5) The person who signs any note or copy referred to in this article shall, next to his signature, print, stamp or write in clearly
legible letters, and in case of handwriting in block letters, his name and surname, and his professional capacity or, in the appropriate
case, his capacity of creditor or debtor.
6. When the particulars which, according to article 2042 of the Civil Code must be stated in the note in regard to the name of the father, the name of the mother, the place of birth or residence of the creditor
or the debtor are unknown to the person applying for th e re gi st ra ti o n , th ere sha l l be stated in the note that s u ch particulars
are unknown to such person: saving, in regard to the debtor, the provision of the said article as to the insertion in the no te
of ot her individual particulars capable of establis hi ng his identity.
(a) in the case of an urban tenement, it shall be sufficient to mention the town, suburb or village, and the street in which it is
situate, and the number with which it is marked: if the tenement bears no number or is situate in a street which has no name, the
note must contain a mention of such circumstance and an indication of the boundaries on at least three sides;
(b) in the case of a rural tenement, it shall be sufficient to mention the suburb, or village within the limits of which
it is situate, its denomination, if any, its boundaries on at least three sides, and its approximate area.
Where particulars are unknown. Amended by: XXIV. 1940.2. Cap. 16.
Rules for the designation of an immovable. Amended by: XXV. 1938.2.
(2) In the case of a will, the note shall only contain the date and nature of the act and the designation of the testator.
(3) In the case of any transfer under the provisions of the Land Ac quisiti on (Public Purposes) Ordina nce the note for enrolment shall be deemed to compl y wit h th e p r ovision s of thi s arti cle, not wi th stan din g th at the ow ner
o r any o f th e ow ners o f th e immovables so transferred is designated as unknown or uncertain.
Contents of note for enrolment. Amended by: XXV. 1938.4.
Cap. 88.
Contents of note for registration of bottomry contract. Amended by:
XI. 1973.377.
When attestation of notes is required. Substituted by: XXXV. 1979.4.
of Notarial Acts to decide any question as to the regularity of a
note.
demand of the person applying for the registration or enrolment, be determined by the Court of Revision of Notarial Acts, which shall
decide whether such note is dr aw n up acco rd in g t o law, or, otherwise direct the manner in which it shall be drawn up.
(2) The Director shall receive and register any note which the said court , havi ng reg a rd to th e n a t u re of the case and
th e provisions of law, shall have declared to contain the prescribed parti c u l ar s not wit h stand i ng th at he h a d previ
ously refused to receive it on the ground of irregularity.
(3) Where the note is countersigned by one of the Visitors of
Notarial Acts his signature shall be equivalent to such declaration.
Office hours for presentation of notes.
Amended by: VI. 1951.2.
Substituted by: VI. 1974.2.
Amended by: IX.2000.4.
Provided that, when any such day happens to be a public holiday as well as on Wednesday and Thursday in Holy Week, the said Offices shall be kept closed.
Director to write on note date of receipt and progressive number. Amended by: XXV. 1963.2.
(2) The numbering of notes shall commence with the first and end with the last note filed in each year.
Order of registration. Amended by: III. 1967.3.
(2) Nevertheless where any note is rejected by the Director as irregu lar and such n o te i s ag ai n p r esent e d to hi m in th e form prescribe d by the de cree direc t ing its acce ptance, it shall be registered in the order of its fresh presentation without suspending the registration of other notes received in the interval between the rejection and the fresh presentation of the said note.
Time within which notes are to be registered. Amended by:
XXV. 1963.3; III. 1969.2.
How registration or enrolment is made. Substituted by: XXV. 1963.4. Amended by:
III. 1969.2,3; XXXV. 1979.5,6.
(2) The register may be kept in several volumes, each of which may be reserved for one or more kinds of entries.
(3) The Director shall, on the last page of each volume of the register, make a declaration to the effect that the registrations
therein contained are true copies of the original notes.
(4) Such declaration shall be made, dated and signed by the Director with in ei ght month s from t h e receipt of t h e last note
entered in the volume.
(2) The last page of each volume shall contain a statement as to the total number of its pages; such statement shall be signed by the Director.
Registers to be numbered and countersigned. Amended by. XXV.1938.5; XXXV.1979.5,6; XVII. 1984.3.
(2) There shall be at least as many columns as are prescribed in respect of the form of the notes for registration, and one or more other columns for the entry therein of any assignment, reduction, or cancellation, or of any reference to other entries, or of such other annotations as may be necessary.
Pages of registers to be divided into columns.
(2) The annotation shall be dated and signed by the Director.
No corrections to be made without authority of court. Amended by:
XXV. 1963.6.
Correction may be made by transcription of entry.
Amended by: XXV. 1963.7; XVII. 1984.5.
(2) Such correction shall be dated and signed by the Director. (3) It shall not be lawful to make any erasure.
Correction of errors in transcription. Added by: XXV. 1938.6. Amended by: XXV. 1963.8; XVII. 1984.6.
3l st De cem be r b o t h in cl usi v e , o f ev ery yea r, sh al l be m a d e annually, as well as a similar general index of all
enrolments, made during the said year.
(2) The general index of enrolments shall contain a list of the notes referred to in article 8(3); such notes shall also be entered
in
Applicability of articles 20 and 21. Added by:
XXXV. 1979.7. Substituted by:
XVII. 1984.7.
Registers and notes open to inspection.
Indexes. Amended by: XXV.1938.7; XVII. 1984.8; XII. 1986.8.
Cap.16.
the limits of which the immovable expropriated is situate.
(3) The Director shall, in addition to the general indexes m e nt ion e d in sub-art i cl es (1 ) and (2 ), k eep su ch
o t he r b ook s, regi sters and in dexes and m ake such entr ies th er ei n, as may be necessary to record, indicate and make traceable
the connection between the previous name or surname of any person, and the new name or surname assumed by such person in virtue
of any of the provisions of article 253(2) or of article 92(4) and (5) of the Civil Code, or where in virtue of any other provision of the said Code, the name or surname of a person is changed, other than by marriage or
adoption, in such a way th at any cause of preference or any enr o lmen t relat i ve to that perso n wo uld n o t b e i m mediately
traceable in the general indexes aforementioned.
Lists of registrations and enrolments to be transmitted from Gozo.
Amended by: XVII. 1984.9.
Copy of index to
be also transmitted.
(2) The said lists shall be open to inspection in the same manner as the registers.
(3) The Director of the Victoria (Gozo) Office shall also transmit to the Director of the Valletta (Malta) Office, in the
month of January of every year, a copy of the index of registrations and enrolments made in that office in the preceding year as
provided in article 24.
Director to give, on application, certificate of registrations. Amended by:
XXV. 1938.8.
(2) The application for such certificate must be made in writing and must contain an indication of the name, surname, name of the
father, and place of birth of the said individual, and, in the case of a married woman, the name and surname of her husband and the
date of her marriage.
(3) Such application must be signed by the applicant, or by an advocate, notary or legal procurator.
(4) Where the father is unknown, such circumstance shall be stated in the application.
Contents of certificate. Amended by: XXV. 1938.9.
(a) a recital of the application with the particulars of the individual to whom such application refers;
(b) a copy of every entry concerning any person in respect of whom the particulars as to name, surname, name of father, place of birth,
and name of husband (if any) correspond to those of the individual described in the
application; and
(c) where an express request is made in the application, a copy of any note referred to in article 8(3) relating to any immovables
specified in the application and therein designated by the particulars mentioned in article 7.
(2) If no entry relating to the individual or the immovables referred to in the application exists, the certificate shall
contain a declaration to that effect.
the period for which such search is required.
(2) The said list shall also contain, if an express request to that effect is made in the applicatio n for the search, the progressive
number of any of the notes referred to in article 8(3), relating to any immovable specified in the application and therein designated
by the particulars mentioned in article 7.
Where search of liabilities or transfers is required to be made in the Public Registry.
Amended by: IV.1928.2;
XXV. 1938.10; XL. 1939.2; XVII. 1984.10.
(2) The Director of the Victoria (Gozo) Office shall in all cases include in his certificate a statement as to the possibility of the existence of entries in the Valletta (Malta) Office under the name of the individual designated in the application.
Reference to registrations in Victoria (Gozo) Office.
" I declar e that I intend to r e new no te of r e gist ration number.................... entered in the Public Registry on .................”.
Special certificate.
Amended by:
XVII. 1984.11.
Certificate not to include lapsed registrations.
S. 12 of Ord. XIII
of 1895,
incorporated.
Form of note for renewal.
S. 7(2) of Ord. XIII
of 1895,
incorporated.
Substituted by:
XXXV. 1979.8.
Register for renewals and legal hypothecs.
S.8 of Ord. XIII of
1895,
incorporated.
Provisions relating to original registrations to apply to renewals. S.11 of Ord. XIII of
1895, incorporated.
Responsibility of
Director.
(a) his omission to register any note received by him or his ante-dating or post-dating any such note;
(b) his omission or inaccurate registration of any of the particulars contained in the note respecting the designation
of the debtor, or assignee, or of the amount due or assigned;
(c) his omission in any of the certificates or lists mentioned in articles 26 and 28, of any existing entry, unless
such omission is due to insufficient indications for which the Director cannot be held responsible;
(d) his omission to mention in any of the said certificates relating to registrations of causes of preference, any assignments duly
entered in the registers.
Inspection of registers. Amended by: XXXV. 1979.9.
(2) The first inspection shall take place within the six months reckoned from the first day of May and the second within the six months reckoned from the first day of November.
Duties of Court of Revision. Substituted by: XXIII.1967.3. Amended by: XXXV. 1979.10; XIII. 1983.5; XXXI. 1986.3. Substituted by: III.1994.12. Amended by:
L.N. 408 of 2007.
37. During the said inspections, the Visitor shall examine whether the officers referred to in article 3 have complied with the
p ro vi sio ns o f th is Act an d of an y oth er la w a nd m ay, fo r every contravention, inflict upon the of ficer responsible,
a fi ne (ammenda) not exceeding eleven euro and sixty-five cents (11.65):
Provided that where the contravention consists in the omission of anything which is required to be done under this Act or under
any other law and it is not possible for the court to ascertain who was responsible for such omission, the contravention shall be
de emed to have been commit ted by the Director and the punishment shall be inflicted accordingly.
Savings. Amended by: XI.1973.377. Cap. 234.
38. (1) This Act shall not affect the provisions of the Mercha nt S h i p pin g Act with respect to the registration of debts affecting ships in accordance with the provisions of the said Act.
(2) Every custom contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, is repealed.
(a) provide for the making of duplicate notes of any original notes for the registration of any cause of preference
among creditors, or of any note of reference or of any note of enrolment where the original note has been lost, destroyed or
damaged, and for the substitution by a new register of any register lost, destroyed or damaged;
(b) prescribe the mode in which such duplicate notes, and new registers shall be prepared and authenticated;
(c) prescribe that notes for the registration of any cause of preference among creditors, notes of reference, and notes of
enrolment and the relative registers and indexes be reproduced by microfilming, and the mode in which such reproductions are
to be made, stored and made accessible to the public;
(d) prescribe the manner in which reproductions made by microfilming and copies thereof may be authenticated;
(e) provide for the computerisation, including storage, of information taken from any records which are kept in accordance with the
provisions of this Act, and for the production of documents containing statements of such information and the authentication
of such documents;
(f) prescribe the form of any certificate issued by the Director in terms of articles 26 and 30 and the form of the relative
application for the issue of such certificates;
(g) prescribe the form of the application for the issuing of lists in terms of article 28 and the form of such lists;
(h) prescribe the fees and other charges to be levied and paid in respect of anything done under the provisions of this Act;
(i) amend, make additions to or substitute the Schedules to this Act; and
(j) provide for any matter incidental or supplementary to any of the foregoing provisions.
(2) The provisions of any regulations made under this article shall, so far as applicable, apply to renewals of registrations and
to legal hypothecs.
(3) Any duplicate note or new register made in accordance with regulations made under sub-article (1), shall for all intents and
purposes, replace the original note or register.
Power to make regulations. Added by: XXXV.1979.11. Substituted by: XVII. 1984.12. Amended by: IX.2000.4.
Substituted by: XL.1939.3. Amended by: XXIX.1948.2; V. 1972.3; XIII.1983.4. Substituted by:
L.N. 71 of 1987. Amended by:
L.N. 121 of 1993. Substituted by: L.N. 211 of 1997.
Amended by:
L.N. 262 of 2000;
L.N. 290 of 2001;
L.N. 7 of 2002;
L.N. 390 of 2002;
L.N. 353 of 2004.
Substituted by:
L.N. 408 of 2007.
Amended by:
L.N. 99 of 2008.
FIRST SCHEDULE TARIFF
[Article 3]
A. Privileges and hypothecs
€
1. For every note for registration or of renewal of registration where the amount of debt -
(a) does not exceed €2,329.37. .................................. 2.33 (b) exceeds €2,329.37 but does not exceed v46,587.47
........................................................... 23.29
(c) exceeds €46,587.47............................................ 23.29 and in addition two euro and thirty-three cents in
respect of each €2,329.37 or part of €2,329.37,
over and above the initial €46,587.47
(d) where the amount of debt is not stated................... 2.33
For every note for registration where the debt is an annuity or a pension, the fees laid down in the foregoing scale shall be levied
in the following manner, namely:
(a) if the annuity is constituted in perpetuity or for twenty years or more, or for an indefinite period, the fee is to be assessed
on the total amount paya- ble during the period of twenty years;
(b) if the annuity is constituted for a definite period under twenty years, the fee is to be assessed on the total amount payable during
such period;
(c) if the annuity is constituted for the life or lives of any person or persons, the fee is to be assessed on the total amount
payable during the period of twelve years.
2. For every note relating to an assignment, a reduction, or cance llat ion including the relative reference to be
entered in the registers ................................................... 3.49
8. For every note for the enrolment of a public will, for every note for the enrolment of the opening of a secret will, and for every note containing a declaration causa
mortis ............................................................................ 5.82
€
9. For every note of renunciation made on the taking of monastic vows, of an endowment, of a marriage contract wit hout the co nveyance
o f i mm ovabl es, of a cou nter- declaration to a marriage contract, of personal separation and cessation of the community of acquests,
and for any other note rela ting to any power of attorney, no tarial deed, judgment or decree of a court, where the va lue
involved is not ascertainable ........................................... 2.33
10. For every other note relating to any notarial deed, judgment or decree of a court, where the value involved is ascertainable -
(a) and does not exceed €2,329.38 ............................ 2.33 (b) exceeds €2,329.38 but does not exceed €46,587.47
........................................................... 23.29
(c) exceeds €46,587.47 .............................................. 23.29 and in addition two euro and thirty-three cents in
respect of each €2,329.38, or part of €2,329.38,
over and above the initial €46,587.47
For every note for enrolment relating to an annuity or a pension the fees laid down in the foregoing scale shall be levied in the
following manner, namely:
(a) if the annuity is constituted in perpetuity, or for twenty years or more, or for an indefinite period, the fee is to be assessed
on the total amount payable during the period of twenty years;
(b) if the annuity is constituted for a definite period under twenty years, the fee is to be assessed on the total amount payable during
such period;
(c) if the annuity is constituted for life or lives of any person or persons, the fee is to be assessed on the total amount payable
during the period of twelve years.
11. For every reference to be entered in the registers ... 1.16
C. Applications, Searches and Certificates
C1. For every application for a search for entries against a particular individual or company (where the particulars do
not correspond, two or more applications have to be submitted and shall be deemed to have always been necessary), provided that where
the application is submitted by a government department the application
fee shall be reduced by half ............................................ 14.40
And, in addition, there shall be payable:
(a) for every copy, irrespective of the number of pages, of a note of preference, reference, enrol-
ment or other record forming part of the search ..... 2.89
Provided that where the applicant,
€ (i) orders such copy through a remote site,
even when such record does not form part
of the search; or
(ii) accesses the remote site on the status of his own applications for a search,
no extra charge shall be levied as is due for the copy or search as the case may be;
(b) where as part of the search, instead of a full copy of the note, only an indication thereof is given, such as ''GPP''
for guarantee of peaceful possession ''D/M'' for different maternity, or
similar note in lieu of the full copy ....................... 0.86
C2. When the application refers to the verification and certification of non-com puterised searches, in addition to the minimum
application fee mentioned in paragraph C1 hereof, as well as in addition to the charge mentioned in the same paragraph whenever a
particular not e is n o t reco rded in th e searches presented for verification and certification, a copy of the missing note is
provided with the result , inclu ding the checking of n o t e s of r e f e r e n c e i n resp ect of part icular no tes of preference
not forming p a rt of an of fici al search application, a charge, per match, of:
during the ninety days prior to the request ...................... 3.75
C4. For a special certificate (Public Registry Certificate) of any entry i ssued as a true copy of any entry following
an ad hoc request in terms of article 30
of the Act and not forming part of an official search ........ 3.49
C5. For every certificate relating to the wills made by any particular person irrespective of the number of pages (including the
fee for the search):
(a) where an application does not require a search in | |
pre-1972 records .................................................. | 8.15 |
(b) in all other cases ................................................... | 11.65 |
C6. Application to be registered as an agent ............. | 11.65 |
€ C7. When a person makes a special arrangement with
the Director whereby the latter is to provide him with
copies of all notes of preference to which such person may be a party during the six months next following such
arrangement, for every informal copy irrespective of the number o f pages, so long as the number of copies
ordered are more than 50 ................................................ 0.61
C8. For accessing the electronic records from a remote site, the char ge per search carri ed out in accordance with the parameters
of Parts A or B of the Secon d Schedu le h e reof , u p t o a maxi mu m o f f i ft y
records at any one time ................................................... 12.00
Provided that, irrespective of the number of electronic records available, where the applicant chooses to limit the access,
the charge shall be, where those records cover the latest -
(a) | 30 days as currently available ...................... | 2.40 |
(b) | 90 days as currently available ...................... | 4.80 |
(c) | 120 days as currently available .................... | 7.20 |
Amended by: XXIV. 1940.3. Substituted by: XXXV. 1979. 12.
SECOND SCHEDULE FORMS
FORM A - NOTE FOR REGISTRATION
[Articles 5, 32] Note for Registration.
of..................... Progressive No. .................
REMARKS (for office use only)
CREDITOR DEBTOR
CREDIT
(Particulars of Creditor) (Particulars of Debtor)
(Particulars of Credit)
CAUSE OF PREFERENCE
(Hypothec, Privilege, Legal Hypothec, etc.)
This | day of | 20 |
Director | Signature of person applying for registration |
Form annexed to
Ordinance XIII of
1895,
incorporated.
Substituted by:
XXXV. 1979.12.
FORM B - NOTE OF REFERENCE [ARTICLE 5(2)]
REFERENCE NO. TITLE
(Hypothec No. is to be inserted here)
Signature
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