Andrew
WHEN buying stands in Zimbabwe, the first point of call is council, then Deeds Office and Surveyor General.
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
- Dispensation Certificate — issued after title survey have been approved by Surveyor General
- Certificate of Compliance — issued by council
- Title deed of the property (title deed gives the legal name of the property which can be verified by the Registrar of Deeds on payment of the relevant fees, including the person who owes the property or stand) or Offer letter from the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works & National Housing (this can be verified by the Department of State land or Department of Physical Planning)
- If he/she holds an offer letter from Ministry of Lands be suspicious because he/she needs to get a change of use permit from say agriculture to residential/housing, then layout has to be approved by Department of Physical Planning
NB: Work with reputable Real Estate firms and attorneys in the process of acquiring a property. It is better to part with legal fees to protect your interests than to part with money in a bid to recover money. — Wires
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