Home & land
Buying property — what to check, or I was cheated in a property deal
Most property fraud is avoidable with a title check before paying. If it has already happened, act fast — before the property is sold again.
Answer a few questions and get your list →What the law says
Title passes only by a registered sale deed; a power-of-attorney or agreement sale does not transfer ownership (Supreme Court, Suraj Lamp, 2011). New projects must be RERA-registered. Tax must be deducted at 1% where the price is ₹50 lakh or more.
General information, not legal advice.
Papers that usually help
- Chain of title documents for about 30 years
The core check — who owned it before and how it passed. - Encumbrance certificate
Reveals mortgages and earlier sales. - Revenue / municipal records (mutation, khata, record of rights) and tax receipts
Must match the title documents. - RERA registration, approved plan and occupancy/completion certificate
Unregistered projects and missing OC are major risks. - Registered power of attorney and proof the owner is alive
A cancelled PoA or deceased owner makes the sale invalid. - Death certificate, legal heir proof and consent of all heirs
One missing heir can challenge the sale. - Land-use / conversion order and any purchase eligibility
Agricultural land has state restrictions. - Agreement to sell, receipts and payment proof
Basis for refund or a suit to enforce the sale. - Police complaint about the fraud
Forgery and cheating are crimes; quick reporting matters.
Questions Saboot will ask you
- Where are you?
- What kind of property?
- Who is selling?
- How did you pay?
Sources
- Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016
- Transfer of Property Act, 1882
- Income Tax e-filing portal (official) — the Income-tax Act, 2025 applies from 1 Apr 2026
Common situations
- Checking a property before buying it
- Paid advance and seller backed out
- Seller sold the same property to two people
- Bought a plot and found it has a loan or case on it
- Buying through a power of attorney holder
- Paid part in cash and seller is denying it
- Agricultural land purchase — conversion and rules
- Resale flat purchase — society and loan clearance
Also searched as: property documents check, title verification, encumbrance certificate, buying flat documents, buying land checklist, sale deed fraud, property sold twice, fake owner, power of attorney sale, advance paid seller backed out, agreement to sell, mutation khata