Catastro vs. Registro de la Propiedad

English translation: real estate register vs. property register/survey for tax purposes

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Catastro vs. Registro de la Propiedad
English translation:real estate register vs. property register/survey for tax purposes
Entered by: Sarah Weston

05:44 Nov 24, 2017
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Real Estate / US English terms
Spanish term or phrase: Catastro vs. Registro de la Propiedad
In the UK, the Land Registry/Land Register could be argued to cover these two terms but I'm am translating to US English in this case and have no idea of what the equivalents would be or how to distinguish between them for a US audience. The source country is Spain. Context:

"Eventual discordancia en la información contenida en el Catastro respecto de la información registral
De conformidad con la información facilitada, en el Catastro consta inscrita una descripción de las fincas ubicadas en la zona oeste del Sector que podría no corresponderse con la que se refleja en el Registro de la Propiedad.
En concreto, en la zona que se identifica en la siguiente imagen:
A mayor abundamiento, en el Acta del Consejo Rector de x/xx/xxxx se indicó que debido a un error del Catastro, algunas parcelas se habían dibujado y denominado de forma diferente a como lo estaban con anterioridad, como sucedía en el caso de la parcela YYY, propiedad de ZZZ, perteneciente al ámbito de la depuradora [VER QUÉ FINCA REGSTRAL ES].
Se recomienda realizar un estudio a los efectos de verificar eventuales errores en la información contenida en el Catastro, en tanto que ello podría implicar retrasos en el procedimiento de inscripción del Proyecto de Reparcelación."

I am based in Mexico and as far as I understand it here, the "Catastro" registers the deeds and the "Registro de la Propriedad" records all other details about the properties, such as easements, mortgages, etc. I have found a couple of sites which suggest the "county real estate registers" cover the functions of the "Registro de la Propriedad", but obviously that would be too country-specific to put in a translation referring to Spain. Could it possibly be something like "Real Estate Registry" / "Registry of Deeds" (Catastro) and "Real Estate Register" (Registro de la Propriedad)

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Sarah Weston
United Kingdom
real estate register vs. property register/survey for tax purposes
Explanation:
These are not easy to distinguish, but I am copying below a previous discussion of these institutions, hoping it may prove useful.

SITUACIÓN REGISTRAL Y CATASTRAL:
At least in Spain, this text would involve the status of a single property on two registers, the "Registro de la Propiedad" ("real estate register") on which real property ownership (i.e., "title" to property) as well as other rights in real estate are registered, and the "Catastro", which is a register of real estate values for tax purposes. I purposely don't use "cadastral register" or "cadaster", etc., and prefer the descriptive translation "property tax register" or (the admittedly wordy) "property register for tax purposes," because I believe that "cadastral register" or "cadaster" may not be understood by general audiences in many English-speaking jurisdictions.

Another option:
You may rightly object to the use of the term "register" for the "catastro", since it is really a database containing a survey and valuation of real estate for tax purposes. In that case you might translate your text as "status on the real estate (or) real property register and property tax valuation survey." In Spain, and in many South American countries the "Registro de la Propiedad" is a separate entity from the "Catastro," but the "referencia catastral" of a property must be included in the entry for a given property on the "Registro de la Propiedad" to facilitate its identification.

I hope some of this info proves useful. Here are some definitions:

REGISTRO DE LA PROPIEDAD--Es el organismo estatal encargado de la función pública de proclamar oficialmente las situaciones jurídicas que afectan a los bienes inmuebles en un momento determinado. Por ello, el objeto de dicho registro es la inscripción o anotación de los actos y contratos relativos al dominio y demás derechos reales sobre inmuebles (registración). En el Registro, pues, se inmatriculan fincas, se inscriben títulos y se publican derechos. El Registrador de la Propiedad, jefe técnico superior del registro, examina los títulos inscribibles y decide sobre su admisión en el mismo. Existe un solo Registro con multiplicidad de oficinas, distribuidas según la demarcación registral que generalmente coincide con la de partidos judiciales.

CATASTRO--Es la estadística de la propiedad inmobiliaria. Su objeto es dar a conocer la propiedad y sus cualidades, así como las fincas, su situación y productos de las mismas. Mediante los datos suministrados por el catastro, cobran virtualidad auténtica una serie de normas civiles, administrativas y, especialmente, fiscales. En este sentido, el catastro es la base para la imposición de la contribución territorial. Los servicios correspondientes al catastro se integran en el Instituto Geográfico y Catastral. La formación del catastro comprende varias etapas: trabajos topográficos, valoración, y conservación y rectificación progresiva de los anteriores. En las primeras etapas, se obtiene el denominado avance catastral, previo al definitivo.

(Definitions are from "Diccionario de Derecho", Editorial Bosch (Barcelona), 2004

https://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish_to_english/law_contracts/...


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2017-11-24 08:15:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The main (and original) purpose of the “Catastro” in Spain is to determine the value of real estate (“valor catastral”) on which property taxes are based. As the Catastro website indicates, “La finalidad originaria del catastro es de carácter tributario, proporcionando la información necesaria para la gestión, recaudación y control de diversas figuras impositivas por las Administraciones estatal, autonómica y local. A estos efectos, el Catastro facilita el censo de bienes inmuebles, su titularidad, así como el valor catastral que es un valor administrativo que corresponde a cada inmueble y que permite determinar la capacidad económica de su titular.” (http://www.catastro.minhap.gob.es/esp/usos_utilidades.asp)

Although the “Catastro” contains other data, its main purpose (and certainly its greatest impact on Spanish citizens) is the fact that it appraises the value of the property that it surveys, and that appraisal is used to calculate property taxes. Here in Spain, when you periodically receive an updated “valor catastral” for your property (apartment, house, etc.) in the mail, you know your property taxes are going up!

In contrast, the US Federal Government’s Bureau of Land Management’s cadastral surveys are not used for tax purposes, but rather property values are assessed and property taxes are levied at the local and state levels. Indeed, in the US cadastral surveys are only conducted on public lands, not privately-held property which is the main source of property tax revenue: “…cadastral surveys create, define, mark, and re-establish the boundaries and subdivisions of the public lands of the United States.” https://www.blm.gov/programs/lands-and-realty/cadastral-surv...

Based on the above, I believe that an accurate translation of “Catastro” must somehow indicate that it is a “register (or) survey for tax purposes,” since that is what most specifically distinguishes it from the “Registro de la Propiedad:”

“Diferencia Registro y Catastro: La finalidad del Registro de la Propiedad es un dar publicidad del estado de los bienes inmuebles y dar cuenta de los derechos reales que existan sobre ellos a aquellas personas que tienen un interés legítimo en los mismos. Su cometido, pues, es inscribir los actos que afecten la situación de los bienes inmuebles, sean éstos públicos o privados, dando así seguridad jurídica a los derechos inscritos y facilitando las operaciones jurídicas con los mismos. El Registro de la Propiedad, que es un organismo dependiente del Ministerio de Justicia, se rige, entre otros, por el principio de voluntariedad, de modo que la inscripción de tales derechos, a excepción de las hipotecas, que sí es obligatorio inscribirlas, se produce sólo cuando se solicita expresamente al registro oportuno y se presenta la documentación requerida para acreditar dicho derecho.

El Catastro, en cambio, es un órgano dependiente del Ministerio de Hacienda y su finalidad es también un registro administrativo de los bienes rústicos, urbanos y de características especiales, cuyas funciones son ofrecer información sobre el territorio y, fundamentalmente, la recaudación de impuestos. Es por ello que un bien inmueble debe constar registrado necesariamente en el Catastro, a diferencia del Registro de la Propiedad donde la inscripción, salvo caso de hipoteca, es voluntaria.” https://registropropiedad.derecho.com/q/diferencia-registro-...

Further evidence that the “Catastro” is primarily “for tax purposes” is the fact that, as indicated above, the “Catastro” “es un órgano dependiente del Ministerio de Hacienda,” as is likewise the “Agencia Tributaria” (the Spanish counterpart of the Internal Revenue Service and HM Revenue & Customs).
Selected response from:

Rebecca Jowers
Spain
Local time: 12:40
Grading comment
Many thanks Rebecca and to everyone else who contributed.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1real estate register vs. property register/survey for tax purposes
Rebecca Jowers
4Cadastral Registry/Cadaster vs. Property Register/Land Registry
AllegroTrans


Discussion entries: 14





  

Answers


20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
real estate register vs. property register/survey for tax purposes


Explanation:
These are not easy to distinguish, but I am copying below a previous discussion of these institutions, hoping it may prove useful.

SITUACIÓN REGISTRAL Y CATASTRAL:
At least in Spain, this text would involve the status of a single property on two registers, the "Registro de la Propiedad" ("real estate register") on which real property ownership (i.e., "title" to property) as well as other rights in real estate are registered, and the "Catastro", which is a register of real estate values for tax purposes. I purposely don't use "cadastral register" or "cadaster", etc., and prefer the descriptive translation "property tax register" or (the admittedly wordy) "property register for tax purposes," because I believe that "cadastral register" or "cadaster" may not be understood by general audiences in many English-speaking jurisdictions.

Another option:
You may rightly object to the use of the term "register" for the "catastro", since it is really a database containing a survey and valuation of real estate for tax purposes. In that case you might translate your text as "status on the real estate (or) real property register and property tax valuation survey." In Spain, and in many South American countries the "Registro de la Propiedad" is a separate entity from the "Catastro," but the "referencia catastral" of a property must be included in the entry for a given property on the "Registro de la Propiedad" to facilitate its identification.

I hope some of this info proves useful. Here are some definitions:

REGISTRO DE LA PROPIEDAD--Es el organismo estatal encargado de la función pública de proclamar oficialmente las situaciones jurídicas que afectan a los bienes inmuebles en un momento determinado. Por ello, el objeto de dicho registro es la inscripción o anotación de los actos y contratos relativos al dominio y demás derechos reales sobre inmuebles (registración). En el Registro, pues, se inmatriculan fincas, se inscriben títulos y se publican derechos. El Registrador de la Propiedad, jefe técnico superior del registro, examina los títulos inscribibles y decide sobre su admisión en el mismo. Existe un solo Registro con multiplicidad de oficinas, distribuidas según la demarcación registral que generalmente coincide con la de partidos judiciales.

CATASTRO--Es la estadística de la propiedad inmobiliaria. Su objeto es dar a conocer la propiedad y sus cualidades, así como las fincas, su situación y productos de las mismas. Mediante los datos suministrados por el catastro, cobran virtualidad auténtica una serie de normas civiles, administrativas y, especialmente, fiscales. En este sentido, el catastro es la base para la imposición de la contribución territorial. Los servicios correspondientes al catastro se integran en el Instituto Geográfico y Catastral. La formación del catastro comprende varias etapas: trabajos topográficos, valoración, y conservación y rectificación progresiva de los anteriores. En las primeras etapas, se obtiene el denominado avance catastral, previo al definitivo.

(Definitions are from "Diccionario de Derecho", Editorial Bosch (Barcelona), 2004

https://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish_to_english/law_contracts/...


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2017-11-24 08:15:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The main (and original) purpose of the “Catastro” in Spain is to determine the value of real estate (“valor catastral”) on which property taxes are based. As the Catastro website indicates, “La finalidad originaria del catastro es de carácter tributario, proporcionando la información necesaria para la gestión, recaudación y control de diversas figuras impositivas por las Administraciones estatal, autonómica y local. A estos efectos, el Catastro facilita el censo de bienes inmuebles, su titularidad, así como el valor catastral que es un valor administrativo que corresponde a cada inmueble y que permite determinar la capacidad económica de su titular.” (http://www.catastro.minhap.gob.es/esp/usos_utilidades.asp)

Although the “Catastro” contains other data, its main purpose (and certainly its greatest impact on Spanish citizens) is the fact that it appraises the value of the property that it surveys, and that appraisal is used to calculate property taxes. Here in Spain, when you periodically receive an updated “valor catastral” for your property (apartment, house, etc.) in the mail, you know your property taxes are going up!

In contrast, the US Federal Government’s Bureau of Land Management’s cadastral surveys are not used for tax purposes, but rather property values are assessed and property taxes are levied at the local and state levels. Indeed, in the US cadastral surveys are only conducted on public lands, not privately-held property which is the main source of property tax revenue: “…cadastral surveys create, define, mark, and re-establish the boundaries and subdivisions of the public lands of the United States.” https://www.blm.gov/programs/lands-and-realty/cadastral-surv...

Based on the above, I believe that an accurate translation of “Catastro” must somehow indicate that it is a “register (or) survey for tax purposes,” since that is what most specifically distinguishes it from the “Registro de la Propiedad:”

“Diferencia Registro y Catastro: La finalidad del Registro de la Propiedad es un dar publicidad del estado de los bienes inmuebles y dar cuenta de los derechos reales que existan sobre ellos a aquellas personas que tienen un interés legítimo en los mismos. Su cometido, pues, es inscribir los actos que afecten la situación de los bienes inmuebles, sean éstos públicos o privados, dando así seguridad jurídica a los derechos inscritos y facilitando las operaciones jurídicas con los mismos. El Registro de la Propiedad, que es un organismo dependiente del Ministerio de Justicia, se rige, entre otros, por el principio de voluntariedad, de modo que la inscripción de tales derechos, a excepción de las hipotecas, que sí es obligatorio inscribirlas, se produce sólo cuando se solicita expresamente al registro oportuno y se presenta la documentación requerida para acreditar dicho derecho.

El Catastro, en cambio, es un órgano dependiente del Ministerio de Hacienda y su finalidad es también un registro administrativo de los bienes rústicos, urbanos y de características especiales, cuyas funciones son ofrecer información sobre el territorio y, fundamentalmente, la recaudación de impuestos. Es por ello que un bien inmueble debe constar registrado necesariamente en el Catastro, a diferencia del Registro de la Propiedad donde la inscripción, salvo caso de hipoteca, es voluntaria.” https://registropropiedad.derecho.com/q/diferencia-registro-...

Further evidence that the “Catastro” is primarily “for tax purposes” is the fact that, as indicated above, the “Catastro” “es un órgano dependiente del Ministerio de Hacienda,” as is likewise the “Agencia Tributaria” (the Spanish counterpart of the Internal Revenue Service and HM Revenue & Customs).


Rebecca Jowers
Spain
Local time: 12:40
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 111
Grading comment
Many thanks Rebecca and to everyone else who contributed.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks very much for this Rebecca - very helpful indeed!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  philgoddard: This is useful, but I think it should be a reference entry, not an answer.
20 mins
  -> Thanks, Phil. These concepts really don't have simple English counterparts. Perhaps you could offer another option, letting us know how you may have translated "catastro" in the past.

neutral  AllegroTrans: reference material
4 hrs

agree  Toni Castano: With a great delay I arrive at this discussion here and find your explanations as useful as always. (Off the record: Your students are in good hands).
212 days
  -> Thanks, Toni, for your kind comments.
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Cadastral Registry/Cadaster vs. Property Register/Land Registry


Explanation:
Rebecca's references are excellent and I support them

However I see no reason nit to use the term Cadaster in English, since any "localising" doesn't really work as (at least in GB) there is no direct equivalant

Cadastre
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Cadastral map of the village of Pielnia, 1852, Austrian Empire

A cadastre (also spelled cadaster), using a cadastral survey or cadastral map, is a comprehensive register of the real estate or real property's metes-and-bounds of a country.[1]

In most countries, legal systems have developed around the original administrative systems and use the cadastre to define the dimensions and location of land parcels described in legal documentation. The cadastre is a fundamental source of data in disputes and lawsuits between landowners.


cadaster
Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Financial, Encyclopedia.
ca·das·tre also ca·das·ter (kə-dăs′tər)
n.
A public register showing details of ownership of the real property in a district, including boundaries and tax assessments.
[French, from Provençal cadastro, from Italian catastro, alteration of Old Italian catastico, from Late Greek katastikhon, register : Greek kata-, by; see cata- + Greek stikhos, line; see steigh- in Indo-European roots.]
ca·das′tral adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.



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Note added at 4 hrs (2017-11-24 10:39:37 GMT)
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Also, these are separate registers. In England & Wales, the (rough) equivalent of the cadaster is combined into the Land Registry and is not separate

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:40
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 106
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