The legal checklist: eleven documents and five questions

Documents

1. Registered sale deed (or LPS allotment deed) in the seller's name.
2. Parent documents forming the chain back to the farmer's first registration (LPS plot) or 30 years (farmland).
3. Final allotment certificate under the LPS rules (9.14) for returnable plots.
4. Encumbrance certificate from IGRS AP for the full period.
5. Pahani/adangal and 1B extract from Mee Bhoomi for the original survey number.
6. APCRDA layout unit map showing the plot, or layout permission number for private layouts.
7. Property tax or land revenue receipts, current.
8. Seller's Aadhaar and PAN, matching every deed.
9. Survey sketch or plot marking report.
10. Any court orders, partition deeds or release deeds in the family.
11. For agricultural land, confirmation the parcel is patta, not assigned or government land.

Questions

• Is any part of the plot or parcel affected by a road, canal or utility alignment? Get APCRDA's written reply.
• Is there pending litigation? Search the High Court and district court cause lists by the seller's name and survey number.
• Is the seller the recorded owner, or a GPA holder? Buy from the owner.
• Are you legally allowed to buy this category of land? See NRI buyers.
• Does the agreed price match or exceed the registration market value? Duty is charged on the higher.