HOW TO PREVENT BEING VICTIMISED OF LAND FRAUD IN KENYA.

Agricultural land for sale.

Whilst property fraud comes in various guises, here in Kenya, there are several instances where land owners have had their property fraudulently sold without their consent. Dishonest solicitors, false witnesses, forged signatures in land transfer deeds are the usual ingredients in the mix for property fraud in our country. Baoriat Agencies has therefore compiled this awesome piece to enlighten you on how to avoid being a victim of land fraud when buying property in Kenya.

1. Be conversant with your land agent.

Knowing your agent or broker is one of the ways to curb land fraud in Kenya. Ensure that the very first person you contact before purchasing your property is the land agent of that particular property. Ask for copies of their proper identity like confirmation of their registration with Real Estate Agent Board and national identification card just to be sure that you are dealing with the right people.

2. Know the land owner/ seller.

If the land owner is not well represented by the lawyer or advocate, always insist in meeting them in person. If they’re represented, then their lawyer should make a full disclosure of the seller’s details to you. Make sure that you also have copies of the owner’s passport or National Identification card. In instances where the seller/owner of the property is a company or an agency, ensure you get copies of their registration certification Identity and National Identification cards of the company’s directors.

With all these documents in your possession, you can comfortably conduct due diligence on the land. It is recommended that you make your payments via your lawyer. He/She will then ensure that the buying price is not released to the land owner before successful registration of the land transfer is in your favor.

3. Find a lawyer or an advocate.

A competent lawyer will certain you purchase a genuine land that is fraud-free. Beside, a lawyer will help you in negotiating and drafting terms of the agreement for sale. In addition, they also ensure that the right procedure concerning land purchase is followed to the later.

4. Confirm the existence of the property/ land.

Paying site visit of the land at least thrice before deciding whether you should buy it will help you know if the property exists. Moreover, you can also opt to hire a licensed surveyor who will confirm whether the property exists on the relevant maps, the exact land’s dimension and the land’s position on ground is in order. The Surveyor should confirm that the property wasn’t a public utility, is not set aside for public utility or earned for repossession. The two things your surveyor will require are; the title document and access to land in order to carry out his/her due diligence.

5. Always be alert.

Be alert in the sense that if your instincts tells you that the deal could be wrong, that could probably be the case. You never know. You'd never want to fall a prey of land fraud. Always entrust your inner voice and ignore deals that seemingly ain’t right according to you.

6. Enquire about the existing property/ land.

You can gather vital information about the existing land by talking to the people in the neighborhood. Chances are high that the neighbors know a lot of things concerning that specific land you’d like to purchase. They also know whether there are disputes over the land. Making enquiries about the land from the right people will help you evade land fraudsters at any given time.

Generally, the risk of being a victim of land fraud or property fraud is greater than ever. However, it is of great importance to be aware of the three types of property fraud (Foreclosure fraud, Title fraud and Mortgage fraud) and take appropriate actions to protect yourself from being a victim. If you are looking for property in Uasin Gishu County and its neighboring counties, Baoriat Agencies should be your final stop. We have great deals ever. Don’t hesitate. Reach us on 0721-554-937 or pay us a visit in Eldoret town at Juma Hajee Building room16.

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