Guidelines for Verifying Real Estate Documents Without a Lawyer’s Assistance

Buying a property involves investing a large amount. Thus, there should be no scope for taking any risk. One of the reliable methods of reducing risk is to verify the seller and the documents through a lawyer.

However, if you don’t want to hire a lawyer, you can verify it yourself. We’ll share complete guidelines for verifying real estate documents without a lawyer’s assistance easily. In this case, you need to —

• Gather all the essential documents
• Run an independent research
• Verify the authentication of the documents through professionals
• Engage with title insurance companies and so on.

But what type of documents do you need, and how can you complete all these steps of validation? Read on for a detailed discussion of these guidelines.

5 Steps of Verifying Real Estate Documents Without a Lawyer’s Assistance

If you don’t want to involve a lawyer in the verification process, you can still verify the documents within a few steps. However, the verification steps aren’t difficult but need a long time and effort. Here’s how:

• Gather Essential Documents

The key to verifying real estate documents without a lawyer is to have access to all the essential documents. Once you get all the documents, you need to review them thoroughly by reading them carefully.

Here’s the list of documents you should collect for verification:

• Sale Deed

• • Check the deed history to ensure clear ownership transfer to the seller.
  • Confirm purchase price and other deal terms match the agreement.
  • Watch for any errors in seller/buyer/property details.

• Encumbrance Certificate

• • Inspect the EC for any existing liens, mortgages, or legal claims.
  • Make sure the property is debt-free before buying.

• Property Tax Receipt

• • Check taxes have been paid up to the current date.
  • Make sure government dues are fully settled to avoid future issues.
  • Get documentation showing the property is tax-compliant.

• Title Deed

• • Inspect the title deed for the current owner’s name.
  • Confirm they have the legal right to sell the property.
  • Check for defects or disputes that could challenge ownership.

• Approved Layout Plan

  • Ensure the construction is compliant with approved designs.
  • Verify property boundaries match layout records.
  • Inspect permits for any modifications done.

• Building Approvals

• • Check necessary construction permits were obtained.
  • Make sure the property is legally built as per the rules.
  • Watch for unauthorized changes without approval.

• Occupancy Certificate

• • Verified property has OC certifying habitable condition.
  • Inspect for validity, defects, or ongoing construction.
  • Confirm property can be legally occupied.

Note: Insist access to the original copy of these documents instead of photocopies.

• Conduct Independent Thorough Inspection

Besides the legal documents of the property, you need to run independent research to verify. This step requires you to visit the property or review other documents.

• Physical Inspection

Visit the real estate property you want to purchase, and inspect the boundaries and potential occupancy. Besides, go around and talk to the residents.

Ask them if they have noticed any disputes or illegal moves within the property. Also, try to figure out if anyone knows the actual owner’s name of the property and match it with the signatures on the documents.

• Inspect the Dates and Signatures

After property inspection and communication with the residents, recheck all the documents for names, dates, and signatures.

• Third-Party Verification

Usually, this verification step is done by lawyers. But, since you are verifying on your own, you need to understand and complete this process separately. Here’s how to seek verification from third parties:

• Sub-Registrar’s Office Check

Through the sub-registrar, you can confirm the validity of the sale deed registration and the authenticity of the documents with signatures. They can also verify the public records and any defects in the property.

• Local Government Professional

You need assistance from a local government professional to make sure that the development permission and tax compliance are legit. Some professionals also offer verification for construction approvals and layout plans.

• Bank Document Validation

If you can get access to the bank loan of the property, check the principal and interest details. Check if there are any pending charges and verify the mortgage registration thoroughly.

You can also visit the bank with original bank papers to verify if the papers are legit. However, they may not reveal any personal information about the owner of the loan.

• Engage with a Title Insurance Company

The purpose of engaging with a title insurance company is to verify if there are any ownership claims or issues through a title search. If any title issue is found, you must ask the current owner to fix it before purchasing.

• Cross-Check Everything

After you have done with verifying the real estate documents without a lawyer’s assistance, you now can make a decision whether you want to buy.

However, we would recommend you take extra time to cross-check all the legal documents to ensure you have covered all your research. After verifying, if you notice any red flags, don’t hesitate to walk away.

What to Consider When Verifying Real Estate Documents Without a Lawyer’s Assistance

Here are some important things to remember and consider when verifying real estate documents without a lawyer’s assistance:

• Proceed slowly, and don’t rush into decisions. Take time to thoroughly review all documentation.
• Don’t only rely on information from the third party. Try to do your own research.
• Ask detailed questions of all parties, including the seller, agent, title company, etc., until you fully understand every term.
• Keep detailed documentation of the entire process and all correspondence for your records post-closing.
• If the seller is giving strict deadlines or hurrying the process, don’t take the risk; instead, walk away from such sellers.

Conclusion

So, you now have proper guidelines for verifying real estate documents without a lawyer’s assistance. You must be patient with the entire authentication process.

While verifying, document verification and title clarification are the key aspects that need to be verified first. Checking the details in the documents meticulously to ensure everything is okay with the property.

If you face difficulties, you can seek real estate assistance instead of lawyers. GLG Assets LTD is a trustworthy real estate company with 20+ years of experience that can assist you throughout the process. Feel free to contact us at any time!