Investment in real estate has given lucrative yield over a period of years. However, there are instances where similar investments have turned sour. One reason could be the gross negligence of adherence to ground realities by many people while investing in real estate. The following is not a comprehensive list but a compilation of important ground rules by the Greater Chennai Police would help prospective investors especially in the wake of land grabbing instances in the state.

What you must avoid while buying a plot!

• Verify the land document and the mother document of the property.
• Obtain an encumbrance certificate (EC) of the property for the last 20 years and verify it thoroughly.
• Obtain the property’s Patta and Chitta and verify it with the revenue records.
• Ascertain whether the property is approved by DTCP or CMDA.
• Ascertain from the Tahsildhars office whether the patta has been transferred. If so, obtain a copy of the patta.
• Make sure the photographs of the buyer and the seller are affixed on the document before registering the document.
• PAN number must be prominently written on the property documents at the time of registration if the value of the property is above Rs 5 lakh.
• Ascertain the classification of the land (Patta, Grama Natham or Poroboke) before purchasing.
• If the sale is posthumous (after the death of the owner of the land) enquire about the legal heirs and make sure that a legal heir certificate from the Tahsildhar is obtained.

What you must avoid while buying a plot!

• Don’t go for an agreement without verifying the Power of Attorney.
• Don’t purchase the land without identifying the real owner.
• Avoid registration through brokers.
• Brokers should not be allowed to sign as witness.
• In an ancestral property, all descendants should be informed and necessary signatures should be obtained before the registration.
• Never finalise the property by seeing the photo copy of the land document.
• Don’t register the document in the event a case against the property is pending in the court.
• If the property is under mortgage with a bank/financial institution, always obtain a NOC.
• Don’t buy property owned by minors without proper permission of the court.
• Don’t buy government land or Poromboke land.

Source: Prevent Crime by Greater Chennai Police, Central Crime Branch.

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