How To Avoid Land Scams In Asaba

By Mishael Abilogun

On Tuesday, April 16, 2024, the Delta State Government issued a demolition notice to illegal occupiers of government land in the state.

Property worth millions of naira would be demolished because landowners failed to conduct due diligence before they bought land in Asaba as they were scammed into buying government-owned lands.

To save investors and land buyers from the frustration and disappointment of seeing their property taken by the legal owner, this article will explain 5 tips to consider to avoid land scams in Asaba

VERIFY THE LAND

The first step to verify the authenticity of the land is through a physical inspection.

This helps you to know the exact location of the land, the topography, and the habitation status of the area.

While inspecting a land look out for visible signs of land ownership.

● Is the land fenced?

● Does the land have beacons?

● Is there a foundation or gatehouse in the land?

● Are there warning signage for trespassers?

Demand the building plan approval for land with a foundation to confirm the ownership of the land also demand the survey plan for a fenced property to compare the coordinates of the land

with the number in the survey plan with the numbers on the beacon.

Work along with an experienced surveyor to verify the coordinates on the land.

Beware of lands with clear buyers-beware warning signs. Warning signage indicates that such lands have disputes or are not available for sale.

A further important step to verifying the authenticity of sellers is to verify the ownership of titled documents from the Ministry of Lands in Asaba. Your surveyor is in the best position to carry out this verification on your behalf.

DON’T MAKE A QUICK DECISION

One good tactic of land scammers is to rush land buyers into thinking that said land has other interested buyers and if you don’t act on time, you could lose out.

Even if the land is in a great location, don’t make payments in haste without first physically inspecting the property, and verifying the title and owners.

You’re spending millions so buy yourself enough time to think it through and verify the seller’s claims. Don’t make any down payments until you are completely satisfied with the seller.

Here is the truth, If a land offer is that good, the seller won’t pressure any buyer because there will always be offers for him to consider.

AVOID CHEAP LAND

Always be suspicious when the price of land seems too good to be true.

Location greatly influences the price of land. When the price of land in Bonsaac is sold same

price or cheaper than the price of land in Issele-Azagba you should be wary.

Some land scams may come in disguise as a distressed sale.

When land is underpriced, chances are that the seller wants to trick unsuspecting buyers into a scam.

Some sellers may also front a cheap price to attract sellers and later come up with hidden fees to get back the complete value of the land.

AVOID CASH PAYMENTS

It is important to make payments through the bank so you can confirm the legal name of the land owner and also to have a form of proof of payment just in case the deal goes south.

When making such a payment ensure that the purpose of the payment is written in the description area of your transfer.

It is a red flag when the seller insists on a cash payment.

WORK WITH A TRUSTED REALTOR

Some land buyers try to do everything themselves with the feeling of saving themselves from realtor or agent fees.

The truth is the 5%-10% you pay an agent can save you from losing millions to a fraudulent seller.

Work with realtors who are not concerned about their commissions but are interested in getting you properties that meet your needs.

A good experienced realtor who is familiar with the local environment can identify unusually low prices or suspiciously high-pressure sales tactics that may indicate a scam.

Need the help of a trusted realtor? Contact one of Asaba’s trusted Realtor here.