Overview

In view of growing discrepancies in real estate sector, you need to be very cautious. Before you buy a property, you must opt for legal search of property or else you could fall in the ambit of fraudsters. For this, you need to conduct legal checks so that you can rest assured that you purchased a legitimate and authentic property. So, it is important for you to know various things related to property, such as the location of the property, your legal rights, the price you need to pay, what documents are required to be submitted, etc. We at Your Property Doctor can help you in checking the property.

What Steps Do You Need to Take for Legal Search of Property?

Checking the Title of the Property

First, you need to go for property title verification. For this, you need to conduct a search of records at the sub-registrar’s office for documents that have been registered. The report will show the recorded owner of the property and the changes made therein. For instance,—if you are buying an agricultural land, then get “Kisan Bahi” or Khata of that land. Khata is a document that supports the title. It is also the entry of the present owner in the municipal records.

Sale by Holder of Power of Attorney

Scrutinize an individual, who holds the power of attorney in property saleon behalf of the owner. They should not only have the power to sell the property but their power of attorney should be executed before the concerned authority. Their power of attorney must be properly stamped and registered. Do the following things:

Checking the Original Documents: Check all the original documents of the seller before you sign them to ensureproperty document verification.  

Placing a Public Notice: Place a public notice in the newspapers calling for claims in respect of the property you are purchasing. Doing this will help you prove that you purchased the property from a legitimate owner.  

Inspecting the Plans

If the building you are going to purchase is under construction, you should go for property inspection before purchase. Also, check the following:

• If the Owner is Minor: If the property owner is minor, get permission from the court to enable minor’s father/guardian to sell the property.  

• Payment of Stamp Duty: In order to verify documents of title, check payment of stamp duty. If the ownership of property has been changed more than once, examine all the documents for payment of stamp duty by the predecessors.  

Checking the Minimum Tenure of Land If Taken on Lease

If the flat you are going to purchase is built on a land which is on lease, then go for lease verification for property purchase. Confirmwhether the flat owner has paid the lease rent. If the lease is about to expire shortly, then the lease rent may increase substantially. So, you must verify the terms of the lease before you buy the flat.