The Land Registry Directorate is a very sensitive part of the Bureau that is saddled with the responsibility of keeping an up-to-date record of all land transactions in the State. It is the only Agency of Government that is statutorily empowered to store registered documents relating to land virtue of:
Lagos State Lands Registration Law 2015
The Land Registry coordinates the following:
Storage of proper records of all Land transactions in Lagos State
Registration of Deed/Assent/Vesting Deed, Court Judgment, Deed of Release, issuance of loss of documents, Certified True Copy (CTC), and conducting search.
Registration of instrument affecting Land in Lagos.
Administration of the Electronic Document Management System (E.D.M.S).
Scanning of Title Documents commenced in February, 2005; so far more than 10.5 million pages of Title Documents have been scanned and achieved;
REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION OF THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS:
VESTING RIGHTS
DEED OF ASSENT – Letters of Probate / VESTING DEED – Letters of Administration
Appllication letter addressed to the Registrar of Titles requesting to register a Deed of Assent/Vesting Deed– with functional telephone lines and e-mail addresses
Two copies of Deed of Assent/Vesting Deed
–Deed must be dated, signed and each page initialed
–Passport Photographs of all the Administrators/Executors to be attached to the Deed
–Front cover of Deed must be signed and sealed by Solicitor that prepared the Deed
–Spiral/Book binding
Certified True Copy (CTC) of Root of Title
Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Letter of Administration/Will
Sworn Affidavit deposed by the Administrators/Executors attesting to the vesting.
Original (for sighting) and 1(one) copy of a valid means of Identification of all the Administrator(s)/Executor.
Payment Receipts
FOR LOST/DESTROYED TITLE DOCUMENTS:
CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY- EXTRACT OF TITLE DOCUMENT:
Application letter requesting for an Extract of Title document – with functional telephone lines and e-mail addresses
2 (Two) copies of the following information/documentation (spiral binding):-
–Affidavit of Loss (passport photograph attached)
–Police Report on the missing document with full details of Title
–Newspaper Publication in a National newspaper (i.e. ¼ (quarter) page)
–Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Title document
2 (Two) Extra sets of colored passport photograph (5 by 5) with white background
Valid means of Identification of the Applicant (1(one) copy and Original (for sighting)
Letter of Authority (where application is being processed on behalf of title holder)
Original and Photocopy of Payment receipts
Proof of Payment of grand rent or land use charge till date.
Proof of processing of Governor’s consent from Director Lands Services
LAND CERTIFICATE – ISSUANCE OF NEW CERTIFICATE:
Application letter requesting for the issuance of a new Certificate
2 (Two) copies of the following information/documentation (spiral binding):-
– Affidavit of Loss (passport photograph attached)
– Police Report on the missing document with full details of Title
– Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Title document
2 (Two) Extra sets of colored passport photograph (5 by 5) with white background
Valid means of Identification of the Applicant (1(one) copy and Original (for sighting)
Letter of Authority (where application is being processed on behalf of title holder)
Original and Photocopy of Payment receipts
The Land Instrument Registration Law of each State establishes a land registry for the State, where documents relating to land within the territory are kept, and it varies from one State to another. This is conducted where a lawyer acting on the instructions of the purchaser sends application to register of Deed or completes a form. There is payment of search fee, usually a small token at designated bank, attachment of payment receipt to application and submission. After payment has been made and receipt evidencing same, the record is brought by registry officials for inspection. A search at the land registry will reveal a lot of information like the real owner of the land and encumbrances on the land, if any, identity of property, when was the deed created: was the deed properly perfected, etc.
N/B For a speedy and effective search at the land registry, it is expedient to engage the services of a solicitor.
PROCEDURE
1.There must be a letter of consent or authority from the owner or a sworn declaration by the solicitor showing that he has consent of the owner of the land or property to investigate the title. This consent or letter of authority will be needed in the next step. The rationale for this consent is that the registry is a private registry not opened to the public. There must be authority given to an outsider to have access to the registry. This would prevent meddlesome interlopers from indulging in a frolic of their own.
2.The solicitor will write an application letter to the Registrar of Titles. This application will contain the particulars of the property like the name of title owner, registration particulars, survey plan of the property and address of the property. This information contained in the appllication letter would make the search easier.
Attached to the application letter would be the letter of consent by the owner of the property authorising the applicant to conduct the search at the registry.
3.A declaration in court declaring the status of the applicant or as the purchaser’s solicito and the purpose of the search. This declaration is to the effect that the owner of the title actually granted the permission to conduct searches at the land registery.
This is a requirement imposed in practice to curb fraud by those who may claim that they have consent of the owner to conduct searches in the register when in fact they do not have such consent or authority.
4. The application letter, sworn affidavit and letter of consent will be submitted to the Registrar of Titles at the Land registry.
5. The owner to give a copy of the land certificate or a Certified true copy extracts from the register to the purchaser, which contains the particulars by which the property will be identified at the lands registry.
6. The application will be assessed at the land registry and the applicant or solicitor will be required to pay the search fees. The fee is usually a small token prescribed by the registry and could vary due to some factors. For instance it could could be more in some cases depending on where the property is situated.
7.After the payment of the fees, the search can be conducted to ascertain if there’s any defect on title or any incumbrance on the land.
