Senado aprueba en lo general Ley de Armonización Catastral y Registral con el rechazo de la oposición

Mexico's Senate approved without amendments the new National Law for Strengthening and Harmonizing Land Registry and Property Registration, despite warnings from opposition lawmakers that it could lead to higher property taxes. The law was initially proposed by President Claudia Sheinbaum with the aim of unifying, digitizing, and connecting municipal land registries and property registration systems nationwide. According to the legislation, information on land, homes, and buildings will no longer be fragmented or outdated. It establishes the creation of a Unique Catastral Key, a unique identification number for each property in the country, similar to the national ID code CURP but specific to properties. The law also proposes linking land registry data with the Public Property Registration system through a Unique Catastral and Registration Certificate, using the Unique Key and the official property folio. Additionally, it creates the Municipal Catastral Platform and the Public Property Registration Platform, which will allow users to consult georeferenced digital maps, conduct online procedures, and make electronic payments using the digital identity Llave MX. The bill passed in the Senate on Wednesday with 69 votes in favor from Morena, the Green Party, and the Labor Party, and 32 against from PAN, PRI, and Citizens' Movement. Opposition senators warned that while the law itself does not include provisions for increasing property taxes, the update of the assessed value of properties could result in higher tax payments. They argued that the continuous updating of the land registry is one of the law’s objectives, with articles 7, 8, and 16 assigning the Digital Transformation Agency the responsibility of overseeing the timelines for updates and requiring local authorities to keep their mapping and base maps current through the Municipal Catastral Platform. Supporters of the law stated that an updated land registry provides municipalities with better tools for urban planning and strengthens local administration. In the legislative report, committees emphasized that harmonization should ensure that assessed values progressively reflect the realities of the real estate market.