WHATEVER YOU BUILD ON A LAND BELONGS TO THE OWNER OF THE LAND

WHATEVER YOU BUILD ON A LAND BELONGS TO THE OWNER OF THE LAND

You can build a mansion of gold, but if it stands on land that is not legally yours, you may have just gifted someone a palace.

In Nigeria, one harsh reality continues to humble unsuspecting land buyers: whatever is affixed to the land belongs to the owner of the land. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve constructed a block of flats, a shopping mall, or a twenty-storey skyscraper.

If the land is not legally yours, every brick, tile and finishing legally belongs to the person who owns the land.

Let that sink in.

Too many people are investing millions, sometimes billions of naira erecting beautiful structures on land they never properly acquired. And when the true owner shows up with a valid ownership, court judgments are brutal: the building stays but the builder walks away empty-handed.

This is why getting it right from the beginning is a must. Before fencing, sketching architectural designs or laying a single block, ensure the land is free from issues, verify its ownership and confirm that you are dealing with the rightful owner. It’s not just about having a receipt or knowing the family; it’s about airtight legal ownership.

Avoid heartbreak. Don’t build castles for strangers. Work with a Property to do due diligence and secure your ownership before you build your dream.

In real estate, mistakes don’t just cost money, they cost everything.
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APEX CHAMBERS, Law Firm of Property/Real Estate and Business/Corporate Lawyers, Attorneys, Barristers, Solicitors, Legal Practitioners, Legal Consultants and Notary Public with Law Offices in in Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria.