Buying property from a power of attorney (GPA) holder in Hyderabad: check the POA is valid and not cancelled
Short answer: you can buy a flat or plot in Telangana from someone who signs for the owner under a power of attorney (POA), but the agent never becomes the owner. The Telangana Registration Department says so plainly: "It is wrong to say that ownership is transferred by getting General Power of Attorney" (Registration FAQ Q32, read 24 Oct 2026). The same FAQ says a GPA "automatically gets cancelled on the death of Executant" and that the owner "may cancel it at any time" (Q34). So before you pay, confirm three things: the POA really allows selling this property, it was properly attested, and the owner is alive and has not revoked it.
Who this is for: buyers dealing with a relative, builder's man or broker who holds a GPA from an NRI or elderly owner. Paying the wrong person is hard to undo. Read this next to our guide for owners who give a POA.
What the Telangana Registration Department says
| Point | Official source and what it says | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Two kinds of POA | FAQ Q31: a General Power of Attorney lets the agent act "generally" and "may include management of property, Court matter/litigations, sale of mortgage of property or any other act"; a Special Power of Attorney is "to do a particular act or for a particular purpose". The holder "is answerable to the principal and liable to give accounts to him". | Read 24 Oct 2026 |
| Who must attest it | Q31 and Q36: a POA to present a document and admit execution must be attested by the Sub-Registrar or Registrar if the owner lives in India; if the owner lives abroad, by a Consul, Vice-Consul or Notary Public. Otherwise it is "not acceptable for the purpose of registration". Q24 points to sections 32 and 33 of the Registration Act. | Read 24 Oct 2026 |
| Ownership does not pass by GPA | Q32: "Persons purchasing property must get the sale deed registered." | Read 24 Oct 2026 |
| When a GPA ends | Q34: on the owner's death, automatically; and whenever the owner cancels it. Q35: a POA "executed for consideration in respect of property" cannot be revoked one-sidedly to the agent's prejudice (section 202, Indian Contract Act). | Read 24 Oct 2026 |
| Stamp duty on a POA to sell | Q33: 1% of market value if given to someone outside the family; Rs.1,000 if given to wife, husband, son, daughter, brother, sister, father or mother. Stamps FAQ Q8 repeats the 1% for non-family "subject to change from time to time". | Read 24 Oct 2026 |
| POA signed abroad | Q37: attested by an embassy, consulate or notary abroad, it need not be registered, but stamp duty must be paid within 3 months of its receipt in India if not already stamped. Stamps FAQ Q7: the District Registrar endorses payment under section 18 of the Indian Stamp Act. | Read 24 Oct 2026 |
| Can the buyer get a copy of the GPA? | Q40: official copies (CCs) of a registered GPA go only to the executant, claimant, or their agent or representative. So you can't pull it yourself; ask the agent or owner to obtain one. | Read 24 Oct 2026 |
| Will an EC show the POA or its cancellation? | Not stated on these pages. Q39 says a nil EC leaves out unregistered transactions and is not enough on its own. | To verify at the Sub-Registrar office |
Buyer: six checks before you pay a POA holder in Hyderabad
- See the original POA, not a photocopy or a WhatsApp image. Read the property schedule: survey or plot number, extent and boundaries must match the land you are buying.
- Read the powers. Does it say "sell" and "sign and present the sale deed"? A POA that only covers management, rent or court cases does not let the agent sell.
- Check who attested it. Signed in India: look for the Sub-Registrar's attestation. Signed abroad: a Consul, Vice-Consul or Notary, and proof the stamp duty was paid in India within 3 months.
- Get a fresh CC (official copy from the Sub-Registrar) if the POA was registered. Under Q40 only the owner, agent or their representative can apply, so make it a condition before the advance and compare it line by line with the original.
- Confirm the owner is alive and has not cancelled it. Speak to the owner directly, for example on a video call, and keep a dated note of it. If the owner is abroad and elderly, ask for a recent signed letter confirming the sale price and terms.
- Pay the owner's own bank account, not the agent's, unless the POA expressly allows the agent to receive the price. Then do the usual title, EC and court case checks.
Common mistake: buying "on GPA" from someone who himself bought the property only on a GPA. The FAQ is clear that a GPA transfers no ownership, so that seller owns nothing he can sell. Insist that the registered sale deed is signed by the real owner, or by an agent acting under that owner's own valid POA.
Related guides
- Copy of a registered document (CC)
- Agreement of sale vs sale deed
- Court case check on the property or seller
- Buying from an NRI seller: TDS
Property in Andhra Pradesh? See the Andhra Pradesh guide to buying from a POA holder.
Not legal advice. This page summarises official pages read on 24 Oct 2026, with unconfirmed items marked "to verify". The Registration Department, the Sub-Registrar and the courts have the final word. Ask a property lawyer to read the power of attorney before you pay.
A free sample from our Hyderabad property do-it-yourself pack: which papers to ask for, which official portals to open, and in what order, so the power of attorney check happens before you hand over an advance.
Get it free (instant download)FAQ
Can a GPA holder sell my seller's property in Hyderabad?
Yes, if the POA gives the power to sell that property and is still valid, the agent can sign the registered sale deed for the owner. The Telangana Registration FAQ says a GPA does not make the agent the owner.
Does a GPA end when the owner dies?
Yes. The Telangana Registration FAQ (Q34) says a GPA is automatically cancelled on the death of the executant, and the owner may cancel it at any time.
What is an irrevocable POA?
Per FAQ Q35, a POA executed for consideration in respect of property cannot be revoked one-sidedly to the agent's prejudice (section 202 of the Indian Contract Act).
Can I get a copy (CC) of the seller's GPA myself?
Per FAQ Q40, copies of a registered GPA are given only to the executant, the claimant or their agent or representative. Ask the owner or agent to obtain it.
Is a POA signed in the US or UK valid for a Telangana sale?
It must be attested by a Notary, Consul or Vice-Consul abroad (FAQ Q36), and stamp duty must be paid within 3 months of receipt in India if not already paid (Q37).
Official sources
- Telangana Registration FAQ (Q24, Q31-Q37, Q39, Q40)
- Telangana Stamps FAQ (Q7, Q8, Q12)
- Registration Act 1908 s.33 (mirror)
Not legal advice. We don't check properties or certify ads. A lawyer must confirm title, and the Authority's own notices override anything on this page.