Greek Land Registry: manifest error, out-of-court correction or court action?

Start with the entry and the local deadline

Initial entries were transferred to the cadastral books after completion of the cadastral survey and form the basis of every later registration. If an initial entry is inaccurate, it must be corrected through the procedure that matches the particular problem.

There is no single deadline for the whole country. The Hellenic Cadastre publishes a schedule by former prefecture and local authority, which must be checked against the property's location. Delay may materially complicate restoration of the right.

When a manifest-error application may be appropriate

A manifest-error application may be suitable where both the inaccuracy and the correct entry follow clearly and indisputably from the registered deed, its accompanying documents or other public records. Depending on the evidence, this may concern the holder's details, the deed, the nature of the right or the property itself.

The electronic application requires a precise description of the error, the requested correction and the supporting documents. If the proposed change affects geometric data, technical evidence and the specific geometric-change procedure will usually be required.

• Cadastral sheet and diagram
• Title deeds and former registration certificates
• Public documents establishing the correct information
• Survey or geometric-change diagram where required

Out-of-court correction or court action

The out-of-court procedure under Article 6(4) of Law 2664/1998 addresses specific cases where a right is based on a deed already recorded in the books of the competent former mortgage registry before the initial entries, but was not correctly reflected in the Cadastre. The deed, chain of registrations, any geometric change and third-party rights must all be reviewed.

Where there is a substantive ownership dispute, conflicting title or a need to displace a registered third-party right, a court action may be necessary. Entries marked 'unknown owner', adverse possession and cases involving the Greek State require particular assessment and do not all follow the same route.

Good preparation avoids a second correction

Before choosing a procedure, the cadastral entry should be compared with the title deeds, former registrations, tax property record, survey-stage material and the property's actual position and area. Legal and technical reviews often need to be coordinated.

An application that incorrectly treats a substantive issue as a manifest error or omits a required diagram may be rejected or cause further delay. Early identification of the correct remedy protects both the right itself and the owner's ability to sell, transfer or finance the property later.