Hi Everyone! 2017 and 2018 was great for so many reasons because I made people finally realize they have the power to determine how they buy property before throwing away their hard earned money. Personally i feel very very fulfilled that i did my best to help a lot of Nigerians search properties and recommend the ones that are valid and the ones that have so many hidden problems that by the time you purchase it, you end up having more headaches than when you previously didn't buy any land. I was doing my calculation yesterday and i realized i have turned down almost N165Million worth of properties that were advertised to be sold to intending purchasers that had so many hidden scruples that the agents and omoniles wont tell you till you commit your money and then its from frying pan to fire. smiley
For the avoidance of doubt for First Time Property/Land Buyers or New DestinyKing Property Viewers and Readers who don't know what a property search is, it means before you buy any land or property what so ever in any form or shape where ever, you have to know the validity of it.
Lagos in particular is so notorious when it comes to sale of property or land that have so many fraudulent defects surrounding that land/ property that you wont even know what has hit you. These set of people are known as the Omoniles, land grabbers or land touts.
Omoniles naturally should mean owners of the original land which includes the original family that truthfully inherited the property from their fore fathers that has passed down to them. But the real problem comes when there are so many members of the family that are divided in terms of claiming ownership of the lands and how the land truthfully devolved to them. Before you know it, a property that is meant to be shared by a family of 3 to claim ownership is now being contested by the brother in law, the aunt, the great grand uncle relatives etc and that's when they begin to employ touts going around to masquerade as the original owners with the right to sell and after you fall victim of their sweet tongues and coercion, you realize that you bought from the wrong family or the wrong set of people who have no right to sell the land to you and you would be confronted by the original owners when you have started building half way and forced to cough out another payment to the real owners or be thrown out of the land. Trust me this scourge is very very real and 65% of lands in Lagos have this problem one way or the other.
The other way your being deceived is by telling you the genuineness of the property comes from a set of documents. Those set of documents include either a survey plan, a deed of assignment, a certificate of occupancy, government allocation letter, government gazette or governors consent.
They will show you all manners of papers to make you believe them instantly and start pointing to different houses around there that has been built by one commissioner or one Minister or one big man and that their houses are still standing without any government wahala. What they want you to do is to instantly believe them and pay money to them immediately. One thing you can be rest assured is that, once you pay money to an Omonile, you will never ever ever get a refund of that money. Its gone and in some cases its in your front they will start sharing the money.
Don't ever ever fall for that trick. Always demand for what ever documents they have. I will point out the importance of each document to know the relevance of it and why it shouldn't be taken for granted.
1. Survey Plan:
This to me is the most important document From the start you must ask for from the omonile, agent or family that intends to sell the land/property to you. This survey plan is what i would carry to the Land Bureau to go and do a geographical search on first. No matter how cheap or beautiful or strategically located a land or property is, once that property has been discovered to be designated for Government use in future, there is no point going any further to purchase it. It will be a very foolish risk to attempt to defile the government and say nothing would happen, at least there are so many houses around or so many people have bought their own and nothing has happened.
Well for those who are conversant with Uncle Fashola's no nonsense approach in maintaining the master plan of Lagos, once your property is within that area that has being designated for Future Government use, no matter how long maybe its in the year 2023, the plan must be carried out accordingly and your property will go down without any form of compensation because you failed to do the right thing by throwing caution to the wind. Examples include the 8 Lane Dual Carriage Way in Badagry that all the houses that were on that land were demolished, All the houses in Alimosho local Government that were near pipe lines, The ones in Idiroko, The houses in ijegun etc! In fact remind me of the ones you know.
Also in Lekki Ajah, its even worse because there are some areas that have been specially acquired by the government for over 20 years and its just now that the government is trying to recover its lands. These areas is what is known as COMMITTED LANDS. Once an area has been designated as Committed, it is the ultimate no go area abeg. That's where they commit the area for Road expansion, future government estates or Government Reserved areas For Major Developments. As long as that Property is designated as Committed or under acquisition, it is only the Government of the day that can revoke it and anybody buying into those areas are buying at their own mega risk. Don't for once look at the houses around there as your guide to mean the government cannot demolish those houses, you would be shocked that the owners have 4 or 5 houses and can do away with that one and poor people like me and you that have no mouth to fight government will just be rendered homeless because of our stubbornness to buy at all cost there.
Remember you know where the shoe pinches and how much you have in your pocket. This is 2018. Plan to save more money than to throw it away foolishly. wink
The other option from Government is that if they choose not to demolish your house because it is sited on a committed land, they will end up giving you the option to come and pay Ratification. Ratification in this sense means your going to pay Government the full price and taxes it determines to be the cost of that place and its non negotiable. So imagine you bought the land in 2018 for N2Million in a committed area and in 2023, you now have to pay ratification also known as "Rat" at the cost of N5Million to the Government. Does that make any financial sense to you? Imagine all the fears, rumors, prayers that you would be going through so that those caterpillars don't come your way and when they decide not to demolish, they now ask you to pay Ratification, triple or quadruple the amount you bought it and remember the Omonile or Agent you bought it from is no where to be found and if Found, would not in this life time refund or assist you in any way.
Finally another advantage of the Survey Search is that if the land has been designated for Agricultural Purpose, you would know in advance. Its is mostly prevalent in Ikorodu, Badagry and Growing Rural Areas that are just cropping up. Buying into a place designated for Agric is a major no-no! Except you Want Your immediate neighbors to be Cows, Fisheries and probably Obasanjo's Chicken farmers! Unless it has been designated for Residential or Mixed Development Avoid it please.
The summary is that the Survey Plan Search saves you a lot of head ache at first before you even move ahead. And once you meet an Omonile or Agent who is extremely difficult with you in terms of not providing the survey plan on demand for search please my brothers and sisters, walk away quietly. The signs are already there for you to know your about to be scammed. A survey plan is a public document and not a private cheque book, so you shouldn't be bamboozled by people who tell you that the owner doesn't want to release it because of security reasons. Trust me there is no reason. As long as he is ready to sell, that is the first thing you get from them to know your status before proceeding.
2.The Deed of Assignment or Conveyance:
This is the second most important document you need to do a personal search. A deed of conveyance or assignment traces the history of how the property or land has reached the present owner till date. It relates all the information in respect of the true owners of the land before it was passed to Mr A and How MR A sold it to Mr B and How Mr B intend to sell it to you. With that document, you can trace in most respect the original families to find out if there is any dispute as to the ownership of the land how it has been transferred. It is extremely important to trace the original source of the land because its there you know if the land actually has been duly transferred to the present owner. It is here you get to know of if there is any family dispute and some families are still quarreling over the true ownership of the land. It is there you tend to get the family names to go and do a thorough search in court or Alausa to know of any lingering dispute. Its here you get to know the hanky panky the present owner intends to play when he begins to tell you rooster and bull stories so that you pay for the land immediately.
Never fall for this trick. Ask for a copy of the deed if they have one and hand it over to your lawyer for a through search on the family. To be honest this is the most difficult search of them all and it takes the special grace of God to make sure you come out unscathed.
Ways the present owner can deceive you includes:
1. Presenting a false person to Assume the identity of the Original family so as to pretend that he or she sold it to the family 20 years ago
2. Telling you that the family is non existent anymore or they have moved away from that vicinity
3. Telling you all the family members have died
4. Coercing you that you don't need to meet the family because since it has been sold to him, he is the rightful person to sell to you.
This number 4 is a bloody lie and there is a reason which i wont mention here why this particular reason shouldn't stand at all and i can only disclose that in confidence based on the legality of it and the possible back door approach that Alausa frowns upon especially when your perfecting your papers tomorrow.
Bottom line, the deed of assignment is a major search instrument to know the how, why and when of the property you buying and it is very very stressful. So either be prepared to do all the walking, CID/FBI investigations or give your property lawyer on your behalf.
I hope you now know why search is not cheap!!! They say Good soup na money kill am or Penny Wise pound foolish. Because once you fail to get the real identity of the true family owners, your money has been sunk into the whitest of all elephant projects you can dream of, so be more vigilant this 2010.
3. Certificate of Occupancy, Government Allocation, Governors Consent:
These 3 are the dream lands or properties you can buy from with no stress or wahala what so ever. Any property that has any of the 3 is a very Good property to buy and to search them in Alausa is very easy because the records are there. In most situations, i will encourage you to look for properties that have a Global C/O, Private Certificate of Occupancy, Government Allocation or Governors Consent. Its so easy to perfect your papers in Future and your most likely in Most situations going to get compensated from the Government in case anything goes wrong if they attempt to acquire it or query it.
The only problems i have seen is that most properties or lands with a C/O, Government consent or Government allocation letter are quite expensive because of the paper work that has been done thoroughly by the present seller and it almost eliminates omonile from the transaction in most cases. So because the owners know that they have correct papers, they market and sell their properties quite high too because they are selling you gold. But then again you need your lawyer to help you negotiate favorably to make sure the property becomes yours.
The second problem is the issue of fake C/Os, Government Allocation Letters and Governors Consent. In my experience i have seen more than enough fake documents and these agents or omoniles would be so bold enough to dare you to go and check it in Alausa. They will so brain wash you and brag about its validity that you might be tempted to take their word for it but when you decide to go and search it in Alausa, you will find out that it doesn't exist and when you go back to challenge them, you hear new stories and unbelievable song and dance stories that you would almost want to puke.
Always demand for the Document to do the search. Don't listen to their stories. If they go as far as saying they wont release the C/O or Governors consent due to security risks, ask them for the number alone and the rest will be investigated. Don't compromise and get hoodwinked. Its the way they get their bread and butter. You fall for the scam, your on your own.
4. Government Gazette:
This is a document that records and states the areas the government has willingly given to the family and community to sell and that the government will not acquire it for what so ever reason except it duly notifies the world. The major characteristics of a gazette on provides 2 things.
1. The Area e.g Ilupeju
2. The coordinates e.g the Beacon Numbers that separates where the Land given to the family starts and stops. This is Known as an Excision. That means in a whole portion of land lets say 10 PLOTS, Government has excised 4 to the family and has taken 6 plots for its own use. Those 4 Plots will now be documented in a book form known as a Gazette. Its the Coordinates you will get to know where the 4 plots start and ends. You can never know with a unclothed Eye!
Now the danger of the Gazette that i have seen in my experience is that people who see the gazette, jump up and down and accept it whole line and sinker and proceed to pay to the family because that area is listed in the gazette and they believe that area is free. That's very wrong and dangerous.
It is only an Alausa Surveyor that can come to that gazetted area, map out the coordinates and tell you precisely whether your property falls inside the gazette or not. I have seen places where people purchased the lands that are outside the gazetted excision and still believe they are inside the gazetted excision coordinates. I have seen lazy lawyers and surveyors who wont take that time and patience to verify this one particular issue. I have seen fake gazettes with fake coordinates and worst of all i have seen people pay hard earned cash for those places that are most certainly going to be demolished.
Never ever play with a Government Gazette. They know why they documented it for you to see and if you refuse to follow those rules, you will heavily dealt with.
Anyway i have decided to assist people more this year 2018 and i thank so many people that brought me back to Property News via emails and phone calls from around the world through words of encouragement and blessings when i wanted to quit due to the malicious things some of my clients were saying about me and to repay this gesture as my gift back to Destinyking Property News this 2018, i would do the following for every member of Destinyking Property News that wants to buy a property free. smiley
1. When you intend to get a property, after you discuss with the agent or family selling, get a copy of the survey plan to me and i will do the survey search in Alausa for you free to know whether you should proceed to stage 2 or to forget the whole property from the beginning to save you stress and wahala. Just scan a copy of the survey plan and send it to me at destinyconsult.dc@gmail.com or call me on 08153534173.
Introduce your self and please try and convince me the reason you need the property search because i sift through my mails to know who is a time waster, clown or someone that truely needs assistance. Leave your number so i can call to tell you the result and advice you on the next stage which would include visiting the place physically to ascertain the coordinates because i have seen situations where the Survey Plan given is different from the Coordinates of the Proposed Land for sale. So when it is time for Stage 2 to carry me out, abeg prepare my deregulation money for hand o! grin (Joking)
This offer is only Open to Lands in Lagos State Alone and doesnt extend to Mowe/ Ofada/ Ogun state because of the distance going to Abeokuta back and forth. Alausa is Easier for me because my Office is a stone throw in Ikeja so i can hop in 10 times a day to get my information without crying over it in terms of the distance and transportation cost.
One more thing please, respect the fact that even though i am offering a free service, i have the right to cancel it at anytime if i realise am being taken for a ride. Property Search is a very very difficult process and if you think i am lying, devote a full day to do all the walking around in Lagos Traffic and meeting all sorts of people trying to hoodwink you and see if you have the mental capacity to withstand the shock and value how much a search would really cost if you did it alone
So take advantage of me now before i change my mind! grin.
If all is clear and you understand it throughly, then Good luck this 2010 in acquiring your dream property and may God continue to replenish your pocket to actualize your dream home and me the strenght to waka the whole of Lagos on your behalf so that you would have a Property/ Land Scam - Free year.
Finally Remember that You are not offending anybody if you are taking all the necessary steps before you drop your money for any Property Transaction, Rather your safeguarding your hard earned Money. Many Have gotten their fingers burnt for failing to do what is required in a property purchase. Its not how long but how well. Do the due diligence step by step. The property is not running away, rather its your money that will run away if you don't take these steps!Those that i have assisted one way or the other on Destinyking Property News to do a search or acquire properties will tell you how extremely thorough i am.
One more thing. If you intend to buy a property in Addo/ Badore Ajah Estates, please dont waste my time and your time. 85% of those lands / Estates there are under government acquistion and are Committed Areas. Governmnent has Acquired over 300 Hectares of Land in that place and thats approximately almost 5000 plots.
Anyone who has bought there or is intending to buy there that falls within that Committed Area is just wasting his/her time living in fear of demolition or whatever the government decides to do in that place. Nobody in those committed Areas will be able to get their C/O and anyone telling you otherwise is lying. I will not entertain searches emanating from those areas anymore. I am tired of going to the Survey General's office and hearing the same thing that it is a problematic area. Buyers Beware.
This is the problem of not doing a proper search in an area before you rush and buy land. Learn from the mistake of others before you rush and join them in their own problem. Omonile will forever convince you that the place is safe but Omonile will never refund your money after you have been 419ed! Property Buying is the easiest 419 Nigerians Fall for daily that never ceases to amaze me. Please be safe and intelligent before you make your next purchase. Whether the land is going for N400,000 or N400Million, protect your money. You didnt steal it, you worked hard for it, so dont let some people steal it from you because you failed to look before you leaped!
Cheers
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