Buying a property is a tricky business as it has become a high-value commodity in Kerala in recent years. Unlike the buying procedure of any other goods or services, what normally happens with a property is the lawful transfer of ownership. As the land is supposed to be of perpetual being, the transfer has to be carried out lawfully so as to give the buyer the absolute right to carry out any activity as he so desires permissible by the law of the land. As such, in order to ensure that the buyer is of full confidence on the seller, there have to be certain documents produced and verified.
Let us now try to understand all of the documents to be verified before buying a property.
The Title Deed or the Conveyance Deed
This is the document that explains the deed executed by the parties involved in the transaction. By the lawful scope of the document, the title or the ownership of the property is transferred to the buyer from the seller.
Previous Documents
If there were any previous transactions that happened upon the property being sold, then the documents must be made available and it is issued by the sub-registrar’s office mentioning the names of the people who were previously involved in selling and buying.
The Tax Receipt
The tax receipt issued from the revenue department and the same will have details such as the survey numbers of the land, measurement of the area and the date from which the seller was registered as the owner of the land being sold. Most of the times, the owner might not have the same with him. In such cases, get the same from the Village Office under which the land comes.
Encumbrance Certificate
This is a certificate that shows any and all types of charges or liabilities that are made against the property. This is a very important document as it notes the ownership of the land to the utmost authenticity.
Possession Certificate
This is a certificate issued by the Village Office under which the property is located and the same denotes the details of the person who is the rightful owner of the property as on the date when the certificate is obtained.
Sketch and Location Map of the Property
All the geographical details of the property being sold or bought are marked on this document. This shows the details such the roads approaching the property, boundaries of the property and the measurement of the property etc.
Non-Attachment Certificate
The officials of the village office, with the help of and through the Thahasildar, must communicate if there was any revenue recovery as per any legal issue.
The Title Certificate
A certificate issued by a civil advocate after conducting a research on the land is called the title certificate. The certificate normally states that the property being transacted is unencumbered and has a legal, clear and marketable title.
While these are the most important documents that must be verified before a property is purchased, according to the type of the property, the civic bodies and environmental issues, there may be other documents required as well.
