How to Choose an Attorney Authorized for Cadastre Submissions

Registering property rights in the cadastre is a formal, strictly regulated procedure. Even the smallest mistake can lead to the request being dismissed or rejected. Rejected requests, supplements, and returning cases for correction used to be an everyday occurrence. The digitalization of the cadastre and the introduction of the e-counter have significantly accelerated the registration process, but errors still happen.

Today, individuals and legal entities can no longer submit requests to the cadastre on their own. Under current regulations, all requests must be submitted exclusively electronically, through RGZ professional users—attorneys and licensed geodetic organizations.

Therefore, the question is no longer whether to hire an attorney, but:

Whom should you hire?

Since every registration procedure is strictly formal, the choice of attorney directly affects:
• the speed of resolving the case
• avoiding supplements and rejections
• protection of the client’s property and interests
• accuracy of data permanently recorded in the cadastre

When the procedure is handled by a professional who works with the e-counter daily and understands RGZ practice, the risk of error is reduced to a minimum.

Moreover, registration in the cadastre has never been—nor is it now—just a formality. Precisely because of the importance of this procedure, it is essential that the attorney you hire examines your case, identifies potential legal deficiencies, and avoids delays, supplements, dismissals, or rejections of the request. All of this matters because it may affect deadlines with the buyer/seller or the bank, payment of the purchase price, legality of the transaction, registration of future rights, and so on.

Below are the most common mistakes due to which the cadastre rejects requests, as well as explanations of how an experienced attorney authorized for cadastre submissions prevents these issues in advance.

1. Incomplete documentation

Even though the process is now managed by professional users, incomplete documentation remains one of the most common reasons for dismissal of cadastre registration requests.

In practice, the most frequently missing items include:
• legal basis (notarized contract, court decision, ruling)
• proof of legal succession (continuity of ownership change)
• proof of paid tax
• power of attorney
• geodetic report where required
• contract addendum correcting an error in the original document
• address or house-number confirmation from the address register

Individuals cannot know precisely what must be submitted for each type of request, and variations between cases are numerous.

How an attorney prevents this error:

An attorney authorized for cadastre submissions performs a mandatory case review: checking every document, detail, and its form. The client receives clear instructions on what must be obtained, and the attorney once again checks the completeness and accuracy of the documentation before submission.

As a result, the case enters the procedure fully in order, significantly reducing the risk of supplements or dismissal.

2. Data inconsistencies

An issue that must be resolved in the cadastre may seem trivial at first glance. However, what individuals consider “minor” can become a procedural obstacle that must be corrected first. For example, the cadastre does not treat Đorđević and Djordjević as the same, nor apartment no. 6 and apartment no. VI, nor 462/1 and 462/01.

If the data in the documents and the cadastre system do not match, the cadastre will not register the right.

Most common discrepancies:
• differences in names and surnames
• mismatched personal ID numbers or tax numbers
• different surface area in the contract vs. cadastre records
• incorrect parcel number or part of the building

Before the procedure continues, the identified irregularity must be corrected.

How an attorney prevents this error:

Before submission, an experienced attorney compares all data in the documentation with data in the cadastre system, including:
• property sheet
• cadastral parcel
• address register
• information about special parts of the building
• personal data of rights holders

If even the slightest inconsistency is found, the attorney initiates correction: with a notary, Tax Administration, developer, or geodetic expert. This prevents situations where a request is rejected due to a “minor detail.”

3. Inadequate legal basis

A large number of cases get rejected because the legal basis is not suitable for registration, even though the party believes they “have everything.”

Most common situations:
• a preliminary contract is not the same as a final contract
• the sale contract is not executed in the required notarized form
• the contract lacks the clausula intabulandi and no separate document exists
• data in the contract does not match cadastre records

How an attorney prevents this error:

The attorney checks whether the legal document:
• has the required form
• contains all mandatory elements
• is duly certified
• is legally binding (where applicable)
• matches the actual state of the property

If the legal basis is inadequate, the attorney instructs the client to prepare a new contract, addendum, complete inheritance proceedings, complete legalization, initiate and conduct court proceedings, etc.

4. Unpaid taxes or incorrectly paid fees

When tax obligations are a condition for registration, the cadastre cannot process the request without proof that these obligations have been fulfilled.

Typical problems:
• the Tax Administration has not yet issued the ruling, but the party “is in a hurry”
• tax is partially paid
• RGZ fee paid to the wrong account
• incorrect payment code
• incorrect payment amount

Any of these situations leads to a supplement request or dismissal.

How an attorney prevents this error:

The attorney reviews tax rulings, payments, amounts, models, and reference numbers before submitting the request through the e-counter. The client receives precise instructions on how to pay obligations without risk of error.

5. Ignoring encumbrances, annotations, and restrictions

Buyers and sellers often focus only on the “owner” section, ignoring the bottom part. That section contains:
• bank mortgage
• pending litigation note
• prohibition on disposal and encumbrance
• notation of initiated proceedings
• right of first refusal
• easements of access or passage
• usufruct rights

All of these can prevent or complicate registration.

How an attorney prevents this error:

Before advising the client, the attorney obtains and interprets an updated property sheet.
If encumbrances or disputed rights exist, the attorney proposes a solution: removing the mortgage, coordinating with the bank, conditional transfer of rights, initiating removal of annotations, etc.

6. Technical errors in the e-counter

With the transition to a digital system, new opportunities for error appeared: improperly scanned documents, missing electronic signatures, selecting the wrong request type, attaching documents in the wrong format, etc. Even a substantively correct case can be dismissed due to a technical error during submission.

How an attorney prevents this error:

An authorized attorney works with the e-counter daily and knows RGZ technical standards. This significantly reduces the risk of dismissal due to misunderstanding technical submission rules.

7. Failure to comply with a supplement request

When RGZ requests a supplement, the deadline is short. If the supplement is not submitted on time, the case is dismissed, and a new request must be filed—with new fees and new waiting periods.

Most common issues:
• the party does not understand what RGZ is requesting (e.g., missing clausula intabulandi, a term confusing to clients)
• missed deadlines due to assuming “there is time” or not recording the date of receipt
• submitting incomplete supplements again
• writing a response independently without understanding the procedure

How an attorney prevents this error:

The attorney regularly monitors case status and responds immediately. They know exactly what is being requested, obtain the documentation, and submit the supplement properly, on time, and in the correct form.

Conclusion

Since individuals and businesses can no longer submit requests themselves, the key decision becomes: to whom to entrust the cadastre registration procedure.

An experienced attorney authorized for registration:
• reviews documentation
• identifies risks in advance
• prevents errors
• properly prepares the request
• communicates with RGZ
• handles supplement requests
• ensures that the right is duly registered

Therefore, it is crucial to entrust the procedure to an attorney with experience, daily practice with RGZ, and understanding of both the legal and technical aspects of the process. A professional approach ensures what matters most in real estate transactions: legal certainty, property protection, and peace of mind.

Law Firm Petrović Mojsić & Partners

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