7 Important Legal Tips Buying Properties & Land in Lagos, Nigeria
To secure best legal title on purchase and acquisition of commercial & residential property or Land in Lagos and environs with peace of mind and perfect property title must commence and be concluded by involving best experienced Land-property lawyers, attorneys and solicitors in Lagos, Nigeria.
You saw a land or building in a strategic location and decided to purchase it. You researched and concluded that the property is genuine (or so you thought), made payments, and signed some legal documents. You are about to build or move into your property only to find out that they are so many legal issues and hurdles to overcome before you can build or move in.
For land, properties, real estate land-conveyance matters in Lagos, lekki, environs in Nigeria you must consult well experienced lawyer in landed-property in the specific legal jurisdiction where the property or land is located.
Before going ahead to buy any real estate property in Nigeria, it is essential first to consult and hire a lawyer who would help you check the property ownership history to conduct due diligence, cross-check every document, ensure it complies with the property laws, and likely defend you if need be.
Hiring a lawyer isn’t enough; you need to listen to your lawyer, too, if you don’t want to fall victim to land issues.
No matter your relationship with the real estate developer or land agent, whether they are family, friends or your religious leader, once your lawyer advises, you don’t take other advice.
2. Go For Physical Inspection
I know close family and friends are advertising most real estate properties. During the advert, they will likely paint a perfect picture of the property to pique your interest, and have you purchase faster, likely because they have a certain percentage they will benefit from the land sale.
Here’s my advice: never buy a proper you have not seen and vetted yet. You may buy swampy land, or one in a thick bush with no motorable road or neighbours. This is if you are lucky enough not to be one of the numerous owners of the same property.
So, physically visit the land with a surveyor and lawyer before making payments. And in situations where you cannot visit, get a trusted person to do it for you while you video call or have them record during the entire inspection process.
3. Demand For Title Documents
After you have gone for a physical inspection to ascertain that the land matches your expectations or needs, it is crucial that you make demands for original copies of all the property’s title documents. Don’t just believe hearsay from neighbours or the developer about who owns the property.
The Title documents should include the following;
Certificate of Occupancy(C of O)
Registered Survey Plan(The surveyor general should sign it)
Governor’s consent
Deed of Assignment(Registered and Stamped)
Excision and Gazette(if you bought land located in the village)
Friendly Tip: For the Deed of Assignment, please ensure your name is written on it and it is signed during purchase before accepting it. Otherwise, you can’t claim ownership of the land.
4. Verify All Title Documents
Once you have been given all the necessary legal documents of the property, do not rejoice yet, thinking you’ve met a genuine seller, but rather, without any further delay, head to your state land registry to verify the authenticity of the documents.
Let me tell you, land Issues are extremely smart and ahead of you in their games. To beat them to their game, you have to carry the documents alongside your lawyer to the land registry to confirm the authenticity of the Deed of Assignment, C of O, Title number, plot location, and every other relevant information.
During this process, take the time to cross-check everything. The dates, write-up, signatory, etc, should correspond before you proceed with the purchase.
5. Verify the Seller’s Identity
Before buying any land or property from any seller or developer, please verify the person by checking for their valid government-issued identification. And if it’s a family land, ensure all the family members are interested in the sale and are all present on the day of purchase.
On the other hand, if it’s a company, you should check for their CAC documents and only pay into the company’s corporate bank account.
6. Ask Some Legal Questions
Whether you hire a lawyer(it’s wise to hire one) or not, prepare some legal questions to ask the seller. Doing so will help you know if you are to proceed or not. If you have already hired a lawyer, they can ask these questions on your behalf; otherwise, here are some legal questions to ask the seller.
Is the land subject to court litigation?
Is it communal or inter-family land?
Can the seller prove ownership of the property?
Has the property been sold to multiple persons?
While asking these questions, ensure to record the entire discussion and response for future reference, and evidence if need be.
7. Vet All Contracts
In conclusion, take the time to vet all contracts before appending your signature to any document. If there are any clauses or statements you find hard to understand, get your lawyer to carefully vet and explain everything so you know what you are getting into.
Final Words
You need patience, thoroughness, and proper legal guidance to avoid land issues Lagos, in Nigeria. The truth is, the entire process may seem lengthy and expensive; however, all due diligence are mandatory.
The best legal advice on property matters in Lagos and environs is to adhere to all the tips outlined in this guide to the letter, and if you need legal counsel before buying your next property, you can reach bamandgadsolicitors in Lagos both in Ikeja and Lekki offices in Nigeria.