What is the difference between Titled and Right of Possession land ownership in Panama?
Titled land has very clear and definite ownership and is issued a finca identification number that is then registered in the National Public Registery and is recognized by all governing bodies. Titled land also allows you to get a mortgage against your property with a Panamanian bank. However, Right of Possession (ROP) land is not officially recognized in the Title Registery and is not given a finca indentification number. ROP is a product of the agrarian reform in effect in most Central and South American countries. It was placed into law to prevent large land owners from having all of the land, while poor peasants starved to death. In short, what it says is that if a person OCCUPIES and works the land for several years (at least 15), then they acquire some rights. If Right of Possession property has not been officially registered with the government it can take as long as 6 months to research any possible claims that others may have on the land. There is also the issue of unethical p
