18/08/2020
SAFEGUARDS WHEN PURCHASING A LAND IN NIGERIA:
Purchasing a land can be a thing of great joy,but if you are not careful,it could be a living nightmare!
The following are safeguards when purchasing a land in Nigeria.
1.Let a Lawyer be with you at the beginning of the Transaction.It makes the Land Speculators to do the right thing ,from the beginning, knowing that a good Lawyer will detect fraud or discrepancies from the start.
2.Never make payments and sign documents later,most times after making payments,the Vendors become evasive and elusive ,knowing there is nothing to look on to
3. Never pay cash for land purchases ,do a bank transfer , issue a cheque or raise a draft to provide a trail of evidence .
4.Investigate title and ownership before purchase,don't believe every information given to you by the Vendor,subject it to scrutiny .
5. If they say the Vendor is abroad, insist on a Power of Attorney from the Vendor to a person here in Nigeria and go on line to verify the authenticity of the fact,by using social media channels to reach the Vendor.
6.Let the person who introduced you to the transaction sign as a witness for you
7.Always put dates in your Deeds of Transfer or Assignment ,an undated document has no probative value in Law-as per a ratio by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
8 .If the land document is registered ,conduct a search at the Lands Registry to ascertain ,if there had been a Transfer ,if there was a Charge ,Mortgage ,Caveat or any kind of encumbrances whatsoever .
9.If the Owner of the land is dead, demand for a document conferring ownership on the Vendor ,like Letters of Administration,Document of Sharing or Order from the Customary Court .
10.Take your documentation seriously ,do not patronize quacks or business centres,be guided that according to the Land Instrument Preparation Law,,every document relating to land must be prepared by a Legal Practitioner.
