Documents to Check Before Buying a Residential Plot

Buying land is a big step, and the legal homework is what protects it. Here is what to ask for before you sign anything. Start with the Mother Deed and a title search covering at least the last 30 years; that is what tells you the land has a clean chain of ownership. Ask whether the land has a Conversion Certificate (DC Conversion) if it was ever agricultural, since residential use depends on it. Get the Sanctioned Plan and Layout Approval from the relevant statutory authority in writing, not a verbal assurance. Insist on an Encumbrance Certificate (Form 15) confirming there are no pending loans or legal disputes tied to the land. Finally, check the latest property tax receipts and e-Khata registration to confirm everything is current. None of this is glamorous, but skipping it is how people end up in years of litigation over a plot they thought was clean.