meQasa brings you 26 Facts about acquiring lands in Ghana.

Did you know?

1. A lease is a contract between a lessor or a seller and a lessee or a buyer that allows the buyer rights to the use of a property for a period of time.
2. A lease is supposed to have the names of both the seller and the buyer.
3. A lease should describe the property or the parcel of land, in terms of its exact location.
4. The lease should state the period or the terms within which the buyer can hold the land.
5. If the government leases a land to an individual, he/she is supposed to start developing the land within 12 months and complete within 36 months.
6. Some leases insist the building is put up within a month.
7. An individual can always negotiate for a longer period to put up a building on a land before he/she appends his/her signature on the lease.
8. Appending one’s signature on a lease transforms it into a binding contract.
9. If an individual agrees to build on a piece of land within a specific period of time and the time elapses, the lessor can take back his/her property.
10. If an individual is given a land for a specific period of time to build a property and he/she thinks the time frame is not enough, he/she can negotiate for a longer time frame.
11. When acquiring a land, insist on seeing the site plan before purchasing.
12. Signing the lease seals the whole deal.
13. If an individual takes the lease and it expires, it technically reverts to the lessor.
14. There is a maxim in the law which states that anything on or underneath the land is a LAND.
15. When an individual acquires the site plan for a parcel of land, he/she needs to head straight to the Lands Commission.
16. With the site plan, one can acquire information about the ownership of the land as far as the Lands Commission is concerned.
17. The Lands Commission is the only agency mandated by law to keep records on lands.
18. The Lands Commission is able to reveal all encumbrances on all lands in Ghana.
19. Before purchasing a land, an individual is required to work with the planning authorities to know the actual land use and the district the land falls.
20. Working hand in hand with the Lands Commission allows individuals to come up with the proper zone of the land. For instance, if a particular land is mapped out for a road or a school or a park.
21. When acquiring a land, insist on seeing the identity card of the person selling the land.
22. Even when making payments or signing or executing the lease, the lessee needs to take photographs of the entire process for future references.
23. The lessor is likely to be fraudster when he/she refuses to be captured on camera during the payment process.
24. When acquiring lands, employ professionals like land surveyors and lawyers.
25. Acquire lands from only trusted individuals.
26. Ignore persons who insist you pay money to them before you conclude your search on the ownership of the land.

Resource

Kwame Ankapong Yeboah, Land and Property Investment Consultant