Land transfer incomplete

I bought a piece of land about six years ago and submitted all the required transfer documents for registration. I followed up on the process for several years and was repeatedly informed that the transfer was still ongoing. However, I have recently discovered that the same land has now been registered in the name of another person. Please advise on the legal steps I can take in this situation.

HM, Bagamoyo

Registration of land ownership in Tanzania is governed by the Land Registration Act and the Land Act. The land registry is maintained by the Registrar of Titles, whose office records, maintains and rectifies entries in the land register. As a general principle, a person whose interest is affected by a decision or action of the Registrar is entitled to seek clarification and challenge such action through procedures provided under the law.

In your situation, the first step is to obtain written clarification from the relevant land registry on how the land in question was eventually registered in the name of another person despite your pending transfer process. This will establish whether there was an administrative error, overlapping transactions, or any other irregularity in the registration process. A person aggrieved by a decision or action of the Registrar is allowed to challenge such decision before the High Court.

In addition to challenging the registration, the Court may, depending on the facts of the case, order rectification of the land register where it is satisfied that an entry was erroneously made or improperly obtained. However, such matters are highly fact-specific and will depend on whether there was fraud, mistake, or competing valid interests in the land.

Given the complexity of land registration disputes, it is advisable that you seek legal assistance from your attorney.