How to check if a Land is Registered

Land verification is an integral part of any real estate transaction.
Finding a property that is free from all sorts of legal tussles is quite an achievement.

With the momentous growth of the real estate sector, the number of disputes over land has also gone up.

When purchasing land in Nigeria, it is of utmost importance that you are well informed on the details involved before you pay in cash for it.

Determining the genuineness of a land document has been a big issue in the real estate sector, especially for first-time landowners, and most especially for those who purchase their land in Lagos State.

The existence of real estate scam, potential trouble from thugs a.k.a omo onile, and fraud has made it quite necessary to carry out real estate transactions through a verified real estate company and reputable professionals like a lawyer, land surveyor, and a real estate agent.

When acquiring land, there are documents (titles) you need to have in your possession in order to show that you are the legal owner of the landed property even though you have paid for the land. There are also vital documents that are quite an important part of your real estate transactions. These documents are:

• SURVEY PLAN
• EXCISION
• GAZETTE
• CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY
• DEED OF ASSIGNMENT
• GOVERNOR’S CONSENT
• RECEIPT

Each of the documents must be verified by experts in order to confer true ownership of the land.

However, when carrying out verification of land it is important you do the following:

• Carry out a search at the Land Registry, Lagos State – Visit the Land Registry located at the Secretariat Alausa, Ikeja Lagos where all documents relating to land are maintained . Only registerd properties with the State government can be verified at the land registry. This saves you from any encumbrance including government acquisition, mortgages, or any form of leasehold on the property.
• Next you can proceed to conduct a survey confirmation at the office of the Surveyor-General. In this process, you verify the location of the land through the coordinates contained in the survey plan. To do this, you have to apply to the office of the Surveyor-General to confirm the registration and availability status of a particular land using the coordinates and survey plan of the land. If you are successful, you can know whether the land is under government acquisition and whether the survey plan of the land is genuine or not.
• You can also proceed to conduct a search at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) especially if you are buying directly from a company as companies incorporated with CAC oftentimes acquire properties in Lagos State.
• When buying land from an estate, you should proceed to search at the Probate Registry for verification as this discloses whether probate has been given on any estate; who the administrators of the estate are; or to determine the executors of a testator in a situation of properties belonging to the estate of a deceased. If a grant of probate or letters of administration has not been issued, the vendors do not possess the required authority to sell or transfer the property of a deceased individual.

In conclusion, always be sure Use a verified real estate platform in other to avoid being scammed by fraudsters.

Danbel Properties and Investments Ltd is a verified Real Estate Company with lots of good reviews.

At Danbel Properties and Investments Limited, we will help you through all phases of Real Estate investment regardless if you’re a first-time or seasoned investor.

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