by Private Property Reporter
The prevalence of land scams in Nigeria is a source of worry to all real estate stakeholders and many property buyers have fallen prey to the antics of these unscrouplous land scammers. You should be informed of the ploys of these land scammers and how to avoid them. In Lagos, a common vehicle for the practice of land scammers is through the tag of ‘Omonile’.
The Omoniles are children of the native owners of the land who have lands inherited from their late parents or grandparents. However, some of them turn to touts after selling off all inherited land. They resort to various sharp practices such as reselling previously sold land to another buyer leaving both buyers at loggerheads. This has resulted in a lot of court cases and even bloodshed in some cases.
There are also instances where such individuals collect money from land developers as payment for ridiculous charges such as fencing fee, roofing fee and foundation fee, and refusal to comply often attracts forceful stoppage of work by the omoniles.
There are also a class of land scammers who are not omonile but scam you all the same. They pose as the owners of the parcel of land and sell the land to unsuspecting buyers and disappear into thin air long before the victims realize they have been scammed.
With the prevalence of land scams being perpetuated by omoniles and other scammers in Nigeria, there is need to protect yourself from their nefarious activities. I hope these few tips help you to avoid falling prey to the antics of land scammers.
Verify the Land Documents at the Land Registry
This job should be done by the real estate professional you hired but make sure he does the job well. This should be done to verify if the land is not under acquisition or sitting on any pipeline. Do an extensive verification at the land registry in order to avoid future complications associated with the land.
Employ the Services of a Real Estate Professional
Whenever you want to purchase land, employ the services of an estate surveyor and valuer to verify the authenticity of that land transaction. Their services might be a little pricey but it will save you from losing a lot of money.
Never Make Cash Payments
When handling real estate transactions, never make cash payments; always demand for the account number of the seller’s agent with the company name clearly specified as the account name. This way, if things go awry, you can track the payment and make efforts towards the successful retrieval of your money.
Always Make Sure the Seller Has an Agent
Land scammers disappear into thin air after their scam is complete and they prove very difficult to trace, so it is very important you insist the seller has an agent representing him. This way, you have someone to hold responsible when the deal goes bad. When you make this demand and the seller refuses to agree, please walk away.
Avoid Paying in Installments
When you agree to pay in installments, the seller usually withholds the original land documents until full payment is made and this can give rise to a situation where the seller resells that piece of land to a higher bidder leaving you high and dry. However the initial payment might be recovered if you can locate the buyer. Pay for the land in full and collect your original documents to prevent this occurrence.
Verify the Land Beacon
Always ask for the survey plan and check if the name on the survey plan is the same as the seller’s. Check also if the coordinates on the beacon are the same with the ones on the survey plan. Confirm the date of survey and the survey details with the surveyor whose details are on the survey plan. If the seller declines to produce the survey plan, leave that deal alone.
