By Correspondent
Many people have been fleeced while trying to acquire a residential stand.
Housing pressure has created both a ready market for stands and a dangerous cabal of criminals dealing in the same.
However, following the steps below can help one to avoid being duped.
When buying stands in Zimbabwe, the first point of call should be the City Council offices.
Ask for the following documents and information;
Subdivision permit — issued after layout plans have been approved.
Development Permit — issued after engineering designs have been approved by council engineers.
Certificate of Compliance — issued by council showing the compliance by the developer to stated objectives.
Further documents which add clarity can be accessed at the Deeds Office and Surveyor General.
These include the:
Dispensation Certificate — issued after title survey have been approved by Surveyor General
Title Deeds of the Property.
The title deed gives the legal name of the property.
This can be verified by the Registrar of Deeds on payment of the relevant fees.
It will inform you about the person who owns the property or stand.
Besides the Title Deed a property or land may have an Offer letter from the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works & National Housing.
The validity of this document can be verified by the Department of State land or Department of Physical Planning.
If a seller has an offer letter from Ministry of Lands, yet is selling stands, there may be need to be cautious as he needs to get a change of use permit.
This change of use may entail changing the land use from say agriculture to residential/housing.
The layout then has to be approved by Department of Physical Planning.
Though costly it is ultimately safe to work through a reputable Real Estate firm and attorneys.