Page 339 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

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LAND REGISTRATION DEPARTMENT
The Land Registration Department was started in 1344 (1925-26). During the first six years
of its existence it was mainly occupied in making a detailed survey of the villages and cultivated
areas of Bahrain which included large scale maps and particulars of ownership of gardens and water
sights. This first survey of Bahrain proved of great value in the following years and is still frequently
referred to in land disputes. In the beginning the activities of the Indian surveyors who then formed
the staff of the department were regarded by the villagers with considerable suspicion as many people
believed, incorrectly, that the survey foreshadowed a land tax, but after they had worked fof
some time the villagers became accustomed to the surveyors and what opposition there had been,
ceased. When most of the country survey was completed surveys and maps were made of the
principal towns, Manama, Muharraq, Hodd and East Rafaa and at a later date maps were made
of some of the islands, including Howar.

The registration of the ownership of property in Bahrain is still not compulsory but since the
department was first formed there has been a steady increase in the number of land and house owners
who have applied for the registration of their property. The public fully realise the value of a Govern­
ment title-deed which establishes irrevocably the ownership of immoveable property.

In 1348 (1929) the Government made compulsory the registration of all sales, gifts or transfers
of land and two years later a rule was made that no claim for the foreclosure of a mortgage on property
would be heard in the courts unless the property had previously been registered and was contained in a
Government title-deed. Before this action was taken innumerable cases occurred in which the same
property was found to have been mortgaged to more than one person and property held in trust was
frequently mortgaged by the trustees for their own advantage.

The method of establishing the validity of a claim to the ownership of property is by the issue
of a proclamation by the Land Department, which is displayed on the property itself as well as on
Government notice-boards calling upon any person having a claim to the land to submit the claim
in writing to the Land Department which then refers the matter to the court. In the case of regis­
tration of titles the proclamation is issued for three months and for one month in the case of sales.
Not only contested claims to ownership but, as an additional precaution, all undisputed applications
for registration of titles are examined by a special court, which sits once a week, before a title-deed is
issued. The title-deeds are documents containing descriptions of the property and its boundaries,
water rights and location with a plan of the property in the reverse of the document, they bear the
seal of the Ruler himself. Fees are charged for registrations which in the case of sales are in propor­
tion to the price, in the case of registration of titles the fees are at a fixed rate, which is low in order
to encourage the public to register their houses and gardens.

In addition to surveys and registrations the department deals with all leases of Government
property, the collection of rents from Government lands and the sale of Government stamped paper
which is used for powers of attorney, wills, leases and agreements. Leases of date gardens however
are made on special forms which contain various conditions applicable only to landlords and tenants
of date gardens.
Until 1356 (1937-38) the Land Department was also the Public Works Department and many
of the older Government buildings such as the Custom house. Law Courts and much of the Muharraq-
Manama causeway were built under its direction. When public works assumed the importance
which they now hold, a separate organisation was set up to deal with them.
During 1356 and 1357 (1937-38) the Manama Town plan was revised and brought up to date
and a survey was made of Gozabia which was developing into a residential suburb of Manama, during
these years the town plan of Rafaa was completed, the survey of Sitra was finished and a map was
made of the Hawar Islands. An aerial mosaic of Bahrain which was photographed by the R.A.F.