Verify Your Property Documents Without a Lawyer

Documentation and legal verifications are one of the most tedious parts of a home buying journey. A simple way out is to hire a lawyer. But what if you don’t want to hire one? Then what are the checks that you should employ to verify the property documents?

Through this post of ours, we would like to offer you simple tips that might be helpful for you to verify your property documents without a lawyer.

Look for KYC details

This is the first and foremost requirement where you should ensure the identity of the person involved in the said transaction. It might be a good idea to collect a copy of the identity, address, and PAN copy of the individual. In case, it is a builder, look for reviews and other articles in the press through which you can check for their reliability.

Check for title documents

Title documents form the base of a real estate transaction. It is fair for you to demand the earlier transaction papers from the seller. A genuine seller/builder will readily provide you with all the required documents.

You may get it cross-verified with the concerned sub-registrar’s office for Verity. You can also give an ad in the local newspaper regarding your intention to purchase the said property.

Get encumbrance documents from the sub-registrar’s office

It is good to understand the difference between the title document and the encumbrance certificate. While a title or a registration document gives you the title to the property, encumbrance certificate shows if the property in question is free from lien and encumbrance of any sort. If the earlier owner had taken a loan and not cleared it, the same will be shown in the encumbrance certificate.

Check property tax details

Property tax details will be another detail that you can check to verify the authenticity of the property. It helps you in getting an insight if the property is regularised or illegal. It will also assist in ensuring that there are no tax dues on the property.

Tally the approved plan and the actual property

Compare the property with the approved plan to know if there have been variations from the plan. If there are variations, it is good to ensure that the authorities regularise them. It is also important to ensure the exact measurement of the building matches with the actual plan.

Check all building approvals

Each building needs approval for construction and occupation. These construction permissions provide guidelines for construction, and the occupancy permit ensures that all these conditions have been met and the building is fit for living. Many times, builders allow possession of the flat without occupancy certificate and later residents bear the brunt. Thus, it is good to ensure that all permissions are in place before you buy a property.

There is a lot of information available on the dos and don’ts while dealing with real estate in the public domain. Even if you are not able to engage a lawyer, do your due diligence to the best of your abilities.