Buying your own land or farm is everyone’s dream. But if you buy land in a hurry without checking the proper documents, you may have to face legal conflicts and financial losses in the future. Experts have advised that buyers should check the following 12 documents to prevent fraud in property transactions.
12 Important Documents to Check:
Follow this list to ensure the ownership and legality of the land:
1 RTC (Rule of Law): This is important to know who the owner of the land is, the area and the details of the crops.
- Mutation Register: This shows the history of transfer of ownership of the land from one person to another.
3 Atlas or Map (Akarband/Atlas): This map from the Revenue Department is necessary to identify the shape and boundaries of the land.
4 Encumbrance Certificate (EC): This is required to ensure that there are no debts or legal disputes on the land in the last 15 to 30 years.
5 Sale Deed: This is the original evidence of how the previous owner acquired the land.
6 Village Map: This is helpful to know the survey number of the land and its surroundings.
7 Tax Paid Receipts: Check whether the revenue on the land has been paid to the government regularly.
8 Conversion Certificate: If the agricultural land is being used for non-agricultural purposes (NA), then an official document of the same should be there.
9 Survey Sketch (11E Sketch): This is essential to know the exact measurements and divisions of the land.
10 Family Tree: If the original owner is deceased, then details of his legal heirs are required.
11 Khata Certificate: It is important to know in whose name the account is before registering the property.
12 Land Acquisition Process Information: Make sure that the land is not being acquired for any government schemes (KIADB, BDA etc.).
Additional precautions:
The report states that it is not enough to have the documents in order, it is advisable to follow the following steps:
Legal Opinion: It is better to get a ‘legal opinion’ from an experienced lawyer after checking all the documents.
Site inspection: Get the land measured by a government surveyor and make sure that the boundaries are correct as per the map.
Visit to official offices: Get all these documents officially verified from the concerned Tahsildar’s office, Sub-Registrar’s office or Nadakacheri.
Remember: Even a little mistake in the land transaction can lead to the loss of your hard work. Therefore, give priority to ‘documents’ over ‘trust’.