Name transfer charges fixed by Tambaram Corporation are exorbitant, say property owners

Property owners under the Tambaram Corporation are surprised by the charges levied for name transfers of residential properties which are based on the registered sale value. 

Babu Venkatraman of Hasthinapuram had recently bought a property in Tambaram valued over ₹50 lakh. When he applied for name transfer of the property, he found that the charge of ₹10,000 was too high.

On enquiry by the residents, it was found that a government order announcing the fixing of rates by the Tambaram Corporation, which comes under the Chengalpattu district, was passed by the Municipal Administration department on November 3, 2022. In this, the change in the fees for name transfer of properties were fixed through a resolution passed by the council of the Tambaram Corporation on April 4, 2022.

The order had announced that the rates would be taking effect from April 1, 2022 — ₹1,000 charged for property registered from ₹1 lakh-₹5 lakh, ₹3,000 for properties valued between ₹5,00,001 and ₹10 lakh, ₹5,000 for values ranging from ₹10 lakh- ₹20 lakh, ₹10,000 for those worth ₹20 lakh-₹50 lakh, and ₹20,000 for ₹50 lakh- ₹1 crore range. It has been implemented at the beginning of this year, officials said.

Social activist V.S. Jayaraman said the fixing of rates for name transfer by the Tambaram Corporation was arbitrary. Citing the case of Chennai Corporation where name transfer could be done free of cost within six months and the charges after the prescribed period was also not high, he said the slab rate charges for name transfers fixed by the Tambaram Corporation was exorbitant. 

V. Santhanam, a long-time resident of Chromepet, said name transfer of properties should be done free of cost or for nominal rates but the rates being charged by the Tambaram Corporation was high. Also, the manner in which the rate was fixed without getting any feedback from residents was not right, he charged.

A senior official of the Revenue Department of the Tambaram Corporation said the rates were fixed by the Council of the Corporation based on the State government’s direction to fix autonomous rates for increasing the revenue of the newly-formed corporation.