Restore the document of ownership of a deceased mother

Restoring real estate documents has been and remains a relevant issue, especially during martial law, when the risk of their loss or destruction increases. Without original or duplicate ownership documents, a person is deprived of the right to carry out legal actions with real estate, such as re-registration, conclusion of civil and commercial agreements, legalization of construction, etc. If ownership rights to real estate were оформed before January 1, 2013, the procedure for restoring documents is somewhat more complicated. To learn more, we suggest reading the article below.

What ownership documents for real estate must be available in 2026?

Any property must have a title document. In 2026, the concept of paper copies, as practice shows, is no longer sufficient, since every record must be reflected in electronic registers. Ownership of real estate belonging to a deceased person (including a mother) can be confirmed by the following documents:

• extract from the State Register of Property Rights to Real Estate;
• certificate of inheritance rights;
• certificate of ownership of a share in the joint property of spouses;
• certificate of purchase of property at auction;
• state act for a land plot;
• court decision on recognition of ownership rights for property;
• civil law agreement (purchase and sale, gift agreement, lifelong maintenance agreement, etc.).

Note! In some cases, the right of a deceased mother (and after her death – her children by law) to real estate may be confirmed by a certificate from the Bureau of Technical Inventory (BTI) or an electronic technical passport (entered into the Unified State Electronic System in the Field of Construction during construction works). To obtain more information, we suggest ordering a consultation with our real estate lawyer.

Procedure for restoring ownership documents for real estate: what methods exist?

For real estate registered before January 1, 2013

If the original ownership document that arose before the creation of the State Register of Property Rights to Real Estate has been lost, it is necessary not only to apply for a duplicate but also to carry out digital registration. The legal heir of the deceased mother must:

• apply to the Administrative Service Center (CNAP) or a notary in their city or village (preferably having at least a photo of the document);
• obtain an information certificate from the Bureau of Technical Inventory (which stores all files before 2013);
• register the real estate in the register with the help of a notary (standard term — 5 working days);
• receive an extract from the State Register of Property Rights;
• additionally apply for a duplicate document from the authority that issued the original (CNAP, local government authority, etc.).

For real estate registered after January 1, 2013

Here everything is much simpler. For such real estate, the record of which has been entered into the electronic database, the restoration procedure involves only contacting CNAP or a notary who has access to the electronic register. In 2026, it is also possible to submit a request through the “Diia” government services portal. If a duplicate is still required (for performing certain legal actions), it is also advisable to additionally contact the notary who certified the agreement (basis — application for issuing a duplicate due to the loss/damage of the original) or the CNAP that registered the real estate.

Important to know! If the basis for ownership of real estate was a certificate issued by a local government authority, it is additionally necessary to provide a certificate from the police confirming that the person reported the loss of documents to law enforcement authorities, as well as proof of publication of an announcement in a local newspaper (notification about the loss and recognition of documents as invalid).

In case of receiving a refusal to issue duplicate documents

When обращения to a notary, BTI and CNAP do not produce results (for example, in a situation where the document was lost in occupied territory and was registered with local authorities), it is necessary to go to court. You must also apply to court when:

• archival files were physically destroyed as a result of hostilities;
• a person received an official written refusal from a notary or state authority to issue a duplicate (which is a legal basis for applying to court).

Note! Obtaining a court decision can also confirm ownership of real estate, as already partially mentioned earlier. Suitable are those decisions where ownership rights are recognized or a legal fact is established. It is also important to prepare for the court hearing by providing evidence of rights to the property of the deceased person (in particular the mother), for example certificates from the homeowners association or housing services confirming payment of utility bills.

What is the procedure for inheriting real estate from a deceased mother?

The procedure for accepting inheritance in 2026 has a clear algorithm of actions. Since we are talking about acceptance of inheritance of real estate from a deceased mother and restoration of documents for it, the process looks as follows:

• opening of an inheritance case by a notary based on an application (within 6 months after the mother's death);
• verification of the real estate through registers (if the record about it was entered after January 1, 2013);
• restoration of documents and obtaining duplicates (if necessary);
• acceptance of inheritance and obtaining the corresponding certificate;
• registration of real estate in the register if there were no previous records about it;
• payment of state duties for the procedure.

A real estate lawyer is a guarantee of successful registration of real estate and obtaining title documents for it. To find out how much the lawyer’s services will cost in the case of restoring the ownership document of a deceased mother, fill out the form below.