Buying Property In India? Check These Documents To Avoid Property Fraud

A person saves his life’s earnings to buy the dream house but the stories of the unscrupulous builders and developers cheating the property buyer dissuade them to do so. Although the implementation of new rules and regulations like GST and RERA have empowered the buyers, the urban folklores of property frauds scare the majority of the buyers in many cities. With the sellers cheating the buyers in countless ways like providing fake documents, availed loan on the property, giving a general power of attorney, showing fake layout, double registrations, dubious agreements, etc., the buyers need to be extra vigilant while buying a property in India and transferring funds. This write-up enumerates the most important documents that should be carefully checked while getting a property in India at your name.

Sale Deed
The sale deed is the most important document that is to be checked while purchasing a property in any of the Indian cities. It is the legal document that states the transfer of the ownership, title, and all other rights of the property from the seller’s name to your name. One should always check each and every term listed on the deed, cross-check the property title, and read every other condition before signing the papers.

Approval Plan
An approval plan is issued by the jurisdictional commissioner or any other officer appointed by him/her. This plan is approved when the builder or developer submits the following documents to the officer:

• Title deed
• City/panchayat survey sketch
• Latest tax receipts
• Foundation certificate
• Land-use certificate
• Property assessment extract
• Property PID number
• Earlier sanctioned plans
• Drawings of the property

Mother Deed
The mother deed is another important legal document that will help you in case you want to sell your property further. Having this document would help you in tracing the previous owners of the property and establish a stronger proof of your current ownership. It can be greatly helpful in knowing who all have owned the property in chronological order.

Power Of Attorney
The power of attorney of any property is the legal deed that gives a person the right to sell, rent, or mortgage property on their name and reap monetary benefits from the same. It is important to see that the power of attorney is duly registered to offer you all the legal rights.

Conversion Certificate
Conversion certificate is issued by the authority of India to grant the permission of changing farmland or agricultural land into land for housing. Without this certificate, the land might still be considered farmland and constructing a house there might be illegal. Moreover, a no objection certificate aka NOB should also be there issued by the tehsildar.

Certificate Of Completion
Another certificate that has been made imperative for buying property in India post RERA implementation is the certificate of completion. Checking this certificate would ensure that the house you are buying or the building you are buying into is duly completed in compliance with the prescribed rules of regulatory authority and is as per the approved plan.

Occupancy Certificate
This certificate is issued to a building once the inspector has performed inspection on the building and approved of its condition. This certificate certifies that the building is in the ready-to-move-in condition and one can occupy it.

Encumbrance certificate
An encumbrance certificate gives you all the details regarding the property’s change in ownership if it has been held as collateral in any type of home loan. It will allow you to view all title transfers or legally registered transactions going on for the property you are about to buy.

These are some of the documents that one should always check to ensure that the property is legal and you can legally get the right to it. Checking these documents would help you know that you are making a lawful transaction and not getting into any type of fraudulent deal.