CONVEYANCING

Technically speaking, conveyancing is the art of drafting of deeds and documents whereby land or interest in land i.e. immovable property, is transferred by one person to another; but the drafting of commercial and other documents is also commonly understood to be included in the expression.

Mitra's legal and commercial dictionary defines "conveyance" as the action of conveyancing, a means or way of conveyancing, an instrument by which title to property is transferred, a means of transport, vehicle. In England, the word "conveyance" has been defined differently in different statutes. Section 205 of the Law of Property Act, 1925 provides that the "conveyance includes mortgage, charge, lease, assent, vesting declaration, vesting instrument, disclaimer, release and every other assurance of property or of any interest therein by any instrument except a will". "Conveyance", as defined in clause 10 of Section 2 of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, "includes a conveyance on sale and every instrument by which property, whether movable or immovable, is transferred inter vivos and which is not otherwise specifically provided by Schedule I" of the Act.” Section 5 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 (Indian) makes use of the word "conveyance" in the wider sense as referred to above.

Thus, conveyance is an act of conveyancing or transferring any property whether movable or immovable from one person to another permitted by customs, conventions and law within the legal structure of the country. As such, deed of transfer is a conveyance deed which could be for movable or immovable property and according to the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, transfer may be by sale, by lease, by giving gift, by exchange, by will or bequeathment. But acquisition of property by inheritance does not amount to transfer under the strict sense of legal meaning.