Real property registration law (不動産登記法) and registration procedure
Scope
Expect pure procedure: who applies, with what information, what the 登記官 may examine, and what happens when the application is defective.
Core rules
- 共同申請主義 (法60条): registration follows a joint application by the registered right holder and the new right holder. Exceptions include 相続・遺言・判決による登記, 職権登記 and 仮登記.
- The 登記官 exercises 形式的審査権 only; substantive defects are for the parties and the courts, not the registry.
- Defects: 却下 (法25条) where the application cannot be cured into compliance; 補正命令 where it can.
- 仮登記 (法105条) preserves ranking for a future claim; 予告登記 protects a 登記請求権.
- 更正 (法64条) repairs 錯誤・遺脱 with the right holder's involvement; 変更登記 records later changes.
- Since 1 April 2024, 相続登記 is compulsory within three years of learning of the inheritance, with 過料 up to ¥100,000 for breach.
Worked example
A sells land to B. Application: 所有権移転登記, 原因 = 売買, 申請人 = A and B jointly. 添付情報: 登記原因証明情報 (売買契約書), A's 登記識別情報, B's 住所証明, 代理権限証明情報 if a 司法書士 acts, plus 登録免許税. A point to check: if the 地積 in the 登記記録 conflicts with the 地積測量図, correct the 表示 first, because price and tax base follow the registered 地積. If A's 登記識別情報 is lost, the 事前通知制度 applies - that is not a ground for 却下.
Traps
- Saying 却下 where the statute says 補正.
- Citing 民法177条 as creating ownership; it supplies 対抗要件 only.
- Missing the 2024 相続登記 obligation and its three-year clock.