This checklist is your protection. Go through every item before handing over money. Each item represents a real way buyers have been defrauded in Ghana.
The 12-Item Checklist
1. Seller's Identity Document
Get a copy of the seller's Ghana Card. Verify the name matches all documents. If they're representing someone else, get a signed Power of Attorney.
Red flag: Seller reluctant to show ID, or ID doesn't match document names.
2. Title Document (Indenture or Certificate)
This is the document proving ownership. It should be typed (not handwritten), properly stamped, and registered at the Lands Commission.
Red flag: Only a photocopy available, no registration stamp, handwritten document.
3. Chain of Ownership
Ask for all previous indentures showing how ownership transferred to the current seller. Each link in the chain should be verifiable.
Red flag: Missing links in the chain, seller can't explain how they got the land.
4. Site Plan
Must be prepared by a licensed surveyor (with surveyor's registration number), show GPS coordinates, and be signed and stamped.
Red flag: No surveyor registration number, GPS coordinates don't match the physical location.
5. Lands Commission Search Report
Confirms who is registered as owner and reveals any encumbrances. Must be recent (within 3 months).
Red flag: Seller refuses to allow a search, search shows different owner, encumbrances found.
6. Allocation Letter (for Stool Land)
If the land is stool/family land, you need an allocation letter signed by the chief AND principal elders. The chief's signature alone is not sufficient.
Red flag: Only chief's signature, no elder witnesses, single person claiming authority.
7. Confirmation of Chief's Authority
Verify at the Regional House of Chiefs that the chief is legitimate and has jurisdiction over the area in question.
Red flag: Chief not in the gazette, disputed chieftaincy, chief claims area outside their jurisdiction.
8. Stamp Duty Receipt
If the seller previously bought the land, they should have paid stamp duty. Ask for the GRA receipt.
Red flag: No stamp duty receipt, seller can't explain why.
9. No Litigation Certificate
A check at the High Court confirming no pending case involves this land. Your lawyer can obtain this.
Red flag: Any pending case found. Even minor disputes can freeze your ability to develop the land.
10. Physical Site Visit
Visit the land. Confirm it exists, matches the site plan dimensions, and has the access described. Talk to neighbors about the history.
Red flag: Site plan dimensions don't match reality, no clear access route, neighbors report disputes.
11. Sale Agreement
A written agreement specifying price, payment terms, conditions, and what happens if conditions aren't met. Different from the final indenture — this comes first.
Red flag: Pressure to sign without reading, no conditions precedent, no representation that documents are genuine.
12. Indenture Review by YOUR Lawyer
The final deed must be reviewed by a lawyer you hired independently (not the seller's lawyer). The lawyer checks for legal sufficiency and hidden conditions.
Red flag: Seller insists you use their lawyer, lawyer rushes the process, unusual conditions buried in legal language.
Non-Negotiables
These three items are absolute minimums. If you skip any of them, you're gambling with your money:
- Lands Commission search report
- Licensed surveyor's site plan
- Independent lawyer reviewing the indenture
Start your verification with our free Land Deal Risk Check. Read more about essential land documents and why you need a lawyer.