Public Notice Inviting Claims explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
A public notice inviting claims tells everyone who may be affected by an event that they have a stated period to come forward. A stock exchange uses one when a trading member has been expelled and declared a defaulter, so that investors who dealt through that member can lodge claims. The same structure is used by companies and owners in many other situations: lost share certificates, title verification, closure of a business, or sale of a property. This article gives a specimen for each kind.
A public notice names the issuer, gives a clear heading, states the event, invites claims or objections within a stated period, says where and how to lodge them, and is dated and signed by a designated officer. The period for claims and the place to lodge them must be stated precisely, and the notice must be published in the mode the governing rule requires. Where a statute or bye-law requires the notice, cite it.
When you need a public notice inviting claims
- Stock exchange or clearing body: a trading member is expelled or declared a defaulter, and constituents are invited to lodge claims against the member in the prescribed claim form, within a stated period from the date of the notice.
- Company or registrar: a share certificate or other document is lost and objections are invited before a duplicate is issued.
- Owner or purchaser of property: a notice invites objections or claims against the title before a sale or loan.
- Business closure or retirement of a partner: creditors and others are invited to submit claims.
A public notice is effective because it reaches the public through a newspaper or a website. If you want the notice drafted and the publication arranged against a statutory or contractual requirement, our legal notice drafting service handles that.
Specimen public notice
SPECIMEN A: NOTICE BY A STOCK EXCHANGE NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the following Trading Member of has been expelled from the membership of the Exchange under and has been declared a defaulter. Sr. No. | Name of Member | SEBI registration number | Date of declaration as defaulter | Date of expulsion | | | | The constituents of the above member are advised to lodge claims, if any, against the member in the prescribed claim form within from the date of this notice. All claims will be considered for processing if found due and payable in accordance with the rules, bye-laws, regulations and guidelines of the Exchange and the circulars and regulations of the market regulator, subject to the limit of compensation per investor fixed under those rules. The claim may be lodged online on the Exchange portal at , where the documents can be uploaded. A sample claim form and answers to common questions are available at . Claimants who have already submitted need not file a separate claim against the member. Alternatively, the claim form, duly filled and signed, together with supporting documents, may be sent to at . The form can be downloaded from or obtained from . Claimants are urged to use the online facility for better tracking of their claims. For any query, contact or . For Place: Date: SPECIMEN B: GENERAL PUBLIC NOTICE INVITING CLAIMS OR OBJECTIONS PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that of intends to in respect of . Any person having any claim, right, title, interest, objection or demand in respect of the above, by way of sale, gift, mortgage, lien, charge, inheritance, lease or otherwise, is requested to give written notice with supporting documents to the undersigned at within from the date of publication of this notice. If no claim is received within that period, it will be presumed that there is none and the above action will be completed without reference to any later claim. Published under . Place: Date:
Clause-by-clause explanation
| Part | What it does | Drafting tip |
|---|---|---|
| Name of issuer and address | Makes the notice recognisable and traceable | Put it at the top in bold type; readers scan for the issuer first |
| Title | States the purpose in a line | "Public notice" alone is weak; add "inviting claims" or "inviting objections" |
| Statement of the event | Identifies what happened and to whom | Give identifying details such as registration or property particulars |
| Period for claims | Fixes the window | State it from a defined date, such as the date of publication, in days or months |
| How to claim | Online or physical, with the place and form | Give web address, office address and contact |
| Effect of silence | Says what happens if no one responds | Use only where the law or rule allows the presumption |
| Statutory reference | Shows the basis | Cite the Act, rule or bye-law by name |
| Signatory, date and place | Authenticates the notice | Use the designation of the person authorised |
Drafting essentials
- Name of the issuer at the start so the notice stands out.
- Details of the issuer so readers can ask for more information.
- A clear heading that states why the notice is being issued.
- Complete details, balanced against the space and cost of the advertisement.
- Statutory or regulatory basis, with the provision and the name of the Act or rule.
- Date and place of issue.
- Designation of the issuer of the notice.
The law behind it
There is no single law that prescribes one format for every public notice. The requirement usually comes from the rule behind the event: exchange bye-laws and rules for a defaulting member, the articles of association and the Companies Act, 2013 for share certificates, and general prudence for title. For title and sale, a notice does not extinguish anyone's rights; it records that the owner gave the public a chance to object, which is useful evidence of due diligence. See our legal due diligence page for how such notices fit into a property check. If you rely on the notice to complete a transaction, check the current rules for the period and the mode of publication. For the drafting principles that apply to all notices, see general principles of drafting legal documents.
Stamp duty, registration and execution
A public notice is not an instrument that creates or transfers rights, so it is not ordinarily chargeable with stamp duty and is not registered. The cost is the advertisement charge. Execution means approval by the authorised signatory, finalising the text, choosing the newspapers or websites as required, publishing, and keeping the cutting and the publisher's certificate with the file. If the notice is a step in a transaction that needs a deed, duty on that deed is fixed by the Stamp Act and Schedule of the State where it is executed; see our stamp duty overview.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out the claim period or stating it vaguely, such as "within a reasonable time".
- Not saying where and how to lodge a claim, or giving a dead web address.
- Publishing in a medium that the governing rule does not recognise.
- Describing the property or the member inaccurately, so that nobody can tell what is meant.
- Treating silence as the extinction of rights where the law does not say so.
- Omitting the date, place or signatory designation.
- Using a title that does not say the notice invites claims.
- Forgetting to keep proof of publication.
Need help with public notices?
If a notice must stand up to a dispute, the wording, the period and the publication record all matter. Our legal notice drafting team can prepare public notices and arrange the supporting records.
Key takeaways
- A public notice invites claims or objections within a stated period.
- Name the issuer, the event, the period, the place of lodging and the signatory.
- Cite the rule or Act that requires or supports the notice.
- Publish in the required mode and keep proof.
- No stamp duty or registration applies to the notice itself.
Read next
- Show cause notice format
- Circular format: how to draft a circular
- Legal notice format and requirements
- General principles of drafting legal documents
Disclaimer: This specimen is a general model for information. Every document must be adapted to its facts and to the law, rules and forms in force when it is signed or filed; stamp duty, registration and court fees depend on the State and the forum. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.