Lagos is obviously a bustling city but is also known as one of the places you need to apply due diligence before you buy a land. In the year 2008, one Mr Okoro bought a plot of land in Akoka axis. The first problem he encountered was some people coming to claim ownership of the property after some time.
He soon got to know that the person he did business with was not supposed to sell the property and some of the documents he received were fake. He had to pay twice as much to the people that approached him just to retain the land. As if that was not enough, a few weeks after construction started, soldiers from a barracks close to the area laid claim to the land.
Instead of having a peaceful conversation, they resorted to dehumanizing any site worker found by beating the daylight out of them. This got people scared of coming to the place. Eventually, after three years of back and forth, which also involved more money, the matter was resolved.
These steps might be stressful, nonetheless, better than the stress that comes with a controversial landed property.
- Involve a property lawyer
In all that you do concerning buying landed property, make sure you involve a property lawyer. The lawyers do a lot for you to make sure that you are buying genuine land. And like I earlier mentioned, it is part of the job of a lawyer to see all documents attached with the land and confirm their originality.
Do not buy land that doesn’t have its papers complete. Most Ibadan land sellers would try to convince you that it’s nothing, please do not succumb to their conviction and false claims. In order to avoid this stress, it is highly advisable to buy from a property company and not just any individual. Also, make sure the size of the land on paper is accurate in existence before buying a land.
- Start building on it immediately
This is in the form of claiming ownership. Any land in Ibadan that doesn’t have any structure is easily resold. And don’t be surprised if it’s being resold by the same set of people you bought it from. We have enough cases of land being sold to more than 10 people, so you can’t afford to leave the property unattended.
- Put a warning in form of a signpost on the land
Just like the signpost to warn you against buying a property from 419, it is advisable that you also do the same. It doesn’t make it 100% safe, nevertheless, it would still go a long way in safeguarding your property from land thieves.
- Family dispute in the past
Investigate if there has never been a family dispute in the past concerning the land. It is no news that land disputes exist in two of five families. In the heat of this fracas, some unscrupulous people may want to seize the opportunity to sell the land. This is one mistake you can make if you have not done your due diligence.
Eventually, you either leave the land after so much struggle or keep paying a fee that was not in any way involved during the transaction. Some cases have been recorded of people eventually abandoning the land after paying so much because the dispute doesn’t just get resolved on time and the families were beginning to go metaphysical concerning it.
- Require that they give you a complete document
Of all the steps to take, this is the most important. Don’t just ask for the documents and rest, track them down to the state secretariat for verification or show a lawyer to confirm their authenticity. Fake land documents fly around which you may not discover on time and that can cause you to lose the land in the long run.
- Do not risk buying any land that has a warning Sign on it.
Do not risk buying any land that has a warning no matter how convincingly genuine they market it to you. You must be familiar with this inscription THIS LAND IS NOT FOR SALE, BEWARE OF 419… this is the biggest red flag. For someone to boldly put that signpost on a land, spells doom.
It would be a great disservice to yourself to invest in such property. Lands with such signposts are going through a bad dispute that may even involve a long-term court case that you don’t want to get caught up with.
- Verify from the secretariat if land is genuine
This verification is vital. Like what Mr Okoro experienced, you may experience the same if you are not sure about the rightful ownership of the land. Some land belong to the government; some are not supposed to have any form of structure, while some are on the major road but you’d not know until a road construction is done. You can only be sure if it’s genuine by confirming from the secretariat or town planning office lest you make mistakes.
- Ask for the family involved
This shouldn’t be ignored. There is every possibility that the land you are about to buy does not belong to the people you want to buy it from. The only way to know this is when you are being attacked for building on the land just the way they did to Mr Ade. This is common in Lagos and many have fallen for it and could continue if some steps are ignored in the process of buying a land.
- Be sure it’s not owned by soldiers
Some land close to the army barracks are always claimed by the army. Some houses in this category have been demolished over the years. One of the important things to do is to make enquiries if the army barracks is not close to such an area. If it is, there is every possibility that you also have Mr Okoro’s experience.
- Pay attention to topography
Pay attention to the topography so you don’t buy land where it becomes a pain in the neck during the rainy season. Some areas are swampy and flood-prone. You may not find out if you are buying the land when there is no rainfall yet. If you are buying the land to build on it, find out how it is when it rains. Land with this kind of issue are being sold to unsuspected buyers in Lagos which becomes a problem as time goes on.
