Land survey Lagos Nigeria: The estate surveyor has responsibility to ensure you get a valid land survey for the property for sale that you buy. You paid for the service and so you deserve to get value for your money.
Unfortunately, some estate surveyors don't do their job correctly. They do not complete the transaction with the bureau of lands of the Nigeria state where the property is located. Consequently, they put you at risk of losing your property.
Here's how it works.
When you purchase a piece of land from the property owner, you fall into one of the following categories based on the amount of documentation you receive from the seller:
1. A land purchase receipt if you bought from the family who owns the land. And that is all you get if the family who are the original land owners (or omoniles) have not regularized their land documents with the state government
2. A land purchase receipt + a land survey plan
3. A purchase receipt + survey plan + contract of sale + C of O (for a land with certificate of occupancy from the state government)
4. A purchase receipt + survey plan + contract of sale + C of O + building plan (for a completed building)
If you're buying a property which falls within categories 3 & 4 above, you really have no problem because a property with a C of O indicates that all the necessary documentation has been completed with the state government and that the government consents to lease the property to you.
However, if you fall into category 1 above, you need to engage the services of an estate surveyor who will determine the exact location of the land using his GPRS equipment and then verify from the surveyor general's office if the land is within areas acquired by the state government.
If you fall into category 2 above, you still need the services of an estate surveyor to verify that the coordinates listed in the survey document you have, are really the coordinates of the land you wish to buy.
In addition, the Lagos Nigeria estate surveyor will also verify that the survey was properly done. If a survey is properly done, a red copy of the survey will be on file in the office of the surveyor general of the Nigeria state where the land is located.
Of course, you can undertake to do the verification of the status of your land with the Lagos state bureau of lands. All you need to do is collect the land verification form by paying the applicable fees and the verification will be done.
Nevertheless, I will advice you get an experienced estate surveyor to verify the actual coordinates of the land you wish to buy to ensure it tallies with what you have on the land survey plan the seller gave to you.
Sad to say, some estate surveyors don't do a good job of protecting your interest. They do a shoddy job and leave you to face the consequences. And this can be huge.
Yes, you spend more by getting experts like estate surveyors and real estate lawyers to work for you. But it pays you in the long run.
When the miserly investors are weeping because of investing in the wrong property, you will be smiling to the bank because of the substantial growth in the value for your investment.
One last thing.
Your land survey plan is useless if the red copy is not filed with the state government and duty stamped accordingly.
Verify that this has been properly done before you buy a land.
Better still, buy a land with a valid C of O. That is the best protection you have for your real estate investment.