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26 Booked in ₹33-Crore Illegal Sale of Animal Husbandry Land in Tathawade1. Understand the Land Category
- Before investing in land, identify the type of land you're buying.
- Types of Land include in Karnataka are residential plots and agricultural plots.
- Converted land refers to agricultural land that has been legally converted for residential/commercial use.
- Revenue sites: usually hazardous, without approvals.
What You MUST Check
- Check that land use fits your purpose.
- Ask for a DC Conversion certificate for non-agricultural use.
- Avoid unconverted or illegally converted land.
2. Ownership and Title Details Verification
- Essential Ownership Checks
- Obtain the Mother Deed/Title Deed.
- Verify chain of ownership for 20–30 years.
- Confirm whether the property is jointly owned.
- Obtain signatures from all owners/co-owners on the sale agreement.
Warning signs
- The original title deed cannot be produced by the seller.
- Disputes between family members.
- Abrupt ownership changes just before the sale.
3. Check Legal Clearances & Documents
- Encumbrance certificate
- Khata Certificate / Khata Extract
- Tax Receipts
- Sale Agreement draft
- Verify Layout Approvals
- Ensure layout is approved by:
- BDA: Bangalore Development Authority
- BBMP / Municipal Corporation
- Gram Panchayat with proper document
Avoid
Unapproved layouts, plots without official survey numbers and plots based only on notarised documents.
4. Check Encumbrances & Liabilities
What to Check
- The outstanding bank loans on the land.
- Cases filed in the courts or pending disputes.
- Legal claims by relatives or tenants.
- How to Check
- Obtain the EC from the Sub-Registrar Office.
- Check online on the Karnataka land records portal.
5. Understand the Location & Infrastructure
Site-Level Checks
- Ensure the plot has legal road access.
- Match plot boundaries with survey sketch.
- Ensure road width as promised.
- Look for drainage, sewage and electric poles.
- Locality Factors
- Close to schools, markets, and hospitals.
- Water availability: Groundwater levels vary in Karnataka.
- Distance from highways and growth zones.
- Avoid Plots Near
- Lakes or lake buffer zone (highly protected).
- Forest areas or government lands.
- High-tension electrical lines.
6. Confirm Market Value & Pricing
- Compare with the prices of surrounding properties.
- Check the government guidance value or stamp duty value.
- Understand the future development plans for the area.
Be Cautious Of
- Very low-cost plots - often illegal.
- Pressure sales (“book today or price will increase”).
7. Registration & After-Purchase Formalities
- Get the sale deed registered at the Sub-Registrar's office.
- Pay the stamp duty and registration fees correctly.
- Apply for a Khata transfer to your name.
- Start paying property tax after registration.
- Keep Copies Of
- Registered sale deed
- EC after registration
- Payment
- All previous owner documents
8. Common Mistakes First-Time Investors Make
- Purchasing plots based on brochures without verifying the approvals.
- Not checking on EC and Khata.
- Buying revenue sites based on the expectation that they will "get approval later."
- Paying a token/advance prior to document verification. Not physically visiting the plot multiple times.