The Reform of Property Registration Systems in Honduras: A Status Report

Honduras is in the midst of a substantial reformation of its real-property registration system. The purpose of this paper is to provide the foundation for an analysis of how that reform process might be accelerated and improved. To that end, the paper describes the current condition of the Honduran registry and the changes that have been instituted to date. The introduction sketches the history of property registration in Honduras. Sections A and B describe the authority, jurisdiction, and structure of the present Registry - the RPIM. Section C outlines the way in which the RPIM is currently financed. Section D sets forth the functions of the RPIM - principally inscription and certification. Sections E and F catalogue the respects in which the Registry is currently being reformed. Among the dimensions of change are: titling initiatives associated with the Rural Lands Administration Project, the National Agrarian Institute, and the National Agrarian Registry; automation and structural reform associated with the Real Property System Modernization Project; the improvement of the National Cadastre; efforts to protect and register the lands of Indigenous Peoples; and improvements in the judicial system associated with the Program for the Modernization of the Judiciary. Section G considers the supplementary Finally, Section H outlines the ways in which disputes that arise out of the registry process currently are being resolved.