How to Read a Tabu Land Registry Extract in Israel
How to Read a Tabu Land Registry Extract in Israel
The Land Registry extract, known as nesach tabu, records who legally owns a property and what burdens sit on it. For an American buyer it plays a role similar to a title report, though without the insurance that usually accompanies one in the United States. The extract is issued in Hebrew, can be ordered online and changes whenever something new is registered, so your lawyer should review a fresh copy before signing and again before paying. Knowing the structure yourself lets you follow your lawyer's explanations and spot questions early, even if the legal conclusions remain your lawyer's responsibility.
Identifying the Property: Block, Parcel and Sub-Parcel
Israeli land is identified by a gush, meaning block, and a helka, meaning parcel. In a registered condominium building, each apartment has its own tat helka, or sub-parcel. These identifiers, not the street address, are what legally define the asset.
Always confirm that the sub-parcel described in the contract matches the apartment you visited. In older buildings, apartment numbering at the door may differ from the registry numbering.
The Condominium Section
When a building is registered as a bayit meshutaf, or condominium, the extract lists the area of each unit, its share in the common property and any attached parts. Attachments, called hatzmadot, may include a parking space, a storage room, a garden or a roof.
If the seller claims a parking space or roof comes with the apartment but it is not recorded as an attachment, ask your lawyer how that right is protected. The condominium bylaws, known as the takanon, may also contain special arrangements.
Ownership Details
The ownership part shows the registered owners, their identification numbers, the type of right held and each owner's share. Where two or more people own the property, all of them normally need to sign the sale.
The type of right matters. Full ownership differs from a lease registered in favor of an owner under the Israel Land Authority, and the extract will indicate which applies.
Mortgages, Liens and Seizure Orders
Mortgages appear with the name of the lending bank and the degree of priority. A seller's mortgage is common and not in itself a problem. The contract should require that part of your payment goes directly to the bank to discharge it, with the bank's written commitment to remove the lien.
Seizure orders, or ikulim, may be registered by the Execution Office, the tax authorities or a court. These must be cleared before transfer, and your lawyer will usually insist on a mechanism to handle them before releasing funds.
Mortgage in favor of a bank
Seizure by the Execution Office or a creditor
Tax authority liens
Court orders restricting transfer
Warning Notes and Other Notations
A he'arat azhara, or warning note, alerts the world that someone holds a contractual right to the property. It may be in favor of a previous buyer, a bank or a developer. An unexplained warning note is a red flag and must be resolved.
Other notations can include easements, long-term leases, pending expropriation or registration of a building under urban renewal. Each needs an explanation before you proceed.
What the Extract Does Not Tell You
The registry does not show whether additions were built with a permit, whether the municipality has open enforcement files or whether property tax debts exist. It also does not always reflect deals signed but not yet registered.
In many new projects and some older neighborhoods, rights are recorded at the Israel Land Authority or in the developer's own records rather than at the Tabu. Your lawyer will then examine those parallel records as well.
Frequently asked questions
Can I order a Tabu extract myself from the US
Yes, the extract can be ordered online through the official government service using the block and parcel details. It will be in Hebrew, so your lawyer should interpret it.
How recent must the extract be
Lawyers normally use an extract obtained on the day of signing and check again right before key payments, because new registrations can appear at any time.
What if the building is not registered as a condominium
Then the extract shows the parcel as a whole, and each owner's share may be undivided. This situation needs careful legal review and often a supplementary agreement among owners.
Is a mortgage on the seller's apartment a deal breaker
No. It is common, and it is handled by paying the bank directly from the purchase price against a written undertaking to remove the mortgage.
Elkayam Group
For three generations, and with a family foundation dating to the forties, Elkayam Group has worked with registry records on development, pinui-binui and TAMA 38 projects. Our Tel Aviv office on Rival Street 37 works in Hebrew, English and French, helping American buyers understand what they see on a Tabu extract before they rely on their lawyer's final opinion.
Have an extract in Hebrew and want to understand it. Our team can walk you through it alongside your lawyer.
+972-53-658-4252 · support@kobielkayamrealestateltd.com · Rival St 37, Tel Aviv
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