We had a question about privatizing real estate and contacted him for a consultation.
Oleksandr answered our question quickly, explained, demonstrated, and explained everything like he explained it to little children.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for your help and patience.
I highly recommend him, he's a team of professionals.
Due Diligence of a Land Plot Before Purchase
Land plots are among the most sought-after assets on the real estate market. They are purchased for private construction, business development, agriculture, or simply as an investment. Many people believe that buying a land plot is a straightforward, formal agreement: a seller, a search by cadastral number, a contract, and a notary.
However, behind the formal simplicity of the contract often hide legal risks that may cost the buyer hundreds of thousands or even millions of hryvnias. Issues such as inability to verify the cadastral number, unregistered ownership rights, mortgages, liens, or boundary disputes with neighbors are not exceptions but real situations that Dominion Law Firm regularly encounters in practice.
Reliable legal due diligence of a land plot before purchase provides answers to many questions: how to find out whether a land plot is privatized, how to check a plot by its cadastral number, how to identify the owner of a land plot, and more.
Request a Free Legal Consultation
Why Check a Land Plot?
Purchasing a land plot without proper checks is a risk of losing money, time, and the ability to use the land. Typical problems include: absence of a cadastral number, unlawful acquisition from the state by a previous owner, unregistered ownership rights, liens, or boundary inconsistencies. Checking a land plot by its cadastral number is only the first step. It is important to understand how to verify ownership rights, find out the cadastral number, check if a lease agreement is registered, and whether there are any land use restrictions. Often, an extract from the register does not show all risks. Searching by cadastral number alone does not guarantee the safety of the transaction. Only a qualified lawyer can comprehensively check documents, registers, and the factual situation.
What Does Legal Due Diligence of a Land Plot Include?
Due diligence before purchasing a land plot involves a comprehensive legal analysis of all factors that may affect the security of the purchase agreement. The service includes not only verification by cadastral number but also examination of title documents, current ownership registration, encumbrances, liens, prohibitions on disposal, boundary and court disputes, as well as the land’s designated purpose and compliance with urban planning requirements. It also includes verification of the cadastral number against actual circumstances. Separately, lease agreements are checked, along with the history of ownership transfers and possible use restrictions.
As a result, the client receives a legal opinion on the legal status of the land, risks, and practical recommendations for safe contract execution. This approach helps minimize legal risks, prevent future disputes over the land, and enables confident investment in real estate.
Get a consultation with a land law attorney
Key Stages of Land Due Diligence
Checking by Cadastral Number
A cadastral number is a unique digital identifier for each land plot in Ukraine, recorded in the State Land Cadastre. Any check starts with the cadastral number because it allows you to obtain key information about the plot: its location, area, designated purpose, form of ownership, boundaries, and any restrictions or encumbrances. Checking a land plot by its cadastral number helps quickly identify inconsistencies, lack of registration, or even attempts to sell land that does not legally exist. If the plot cannot be found by cadastral number or it is listed incorrectly, this is already a sign to halt negotiations until the circumstances are clarified.
How to Find Out the Cadastral Number of a Land Plot?
- via Ukraine’s public cadastral map (access limited during wartime);
- from existing documents — state act, registry extract;
- by requesting it from the seller.
If searching by cadastral number yields no results or there is no cadastral number at all, this means the plot is either not formed or not yet entered into the cadastre.
We Check:
- whether the plot exists in the cadastre;
- if there is a sole owner;
- the land’s designated purpose;
- its actual location and functional purpose.
Checking Ownership Rights
Even if information on a land plot is obtained by cadastral number, this does not guarantee the seller has the right to sell it. A cadastral number only confirms that the plot is recorded in the State Land Cadastre, but does not prove ownership rights or their scope. Ownership rights are certified by an entry in the State Register of Property Rights to Immovable Property. An extract from this register shows who the owner is, whether there are encumbrances (mortgages, liens), and whether the person has the right to dispose of the plot. Without this check, there is a risk of buying land from someone who has no legal grounds to sell it.
How to Verify Ownership Rights on a Land Plot?
To verify ownership rights, we obtain an extract from the State Register of Property Rights to Immovable Property, which indicates:
- the name and details of the owner;
- the document under which the right was acquired and the date;
- the existence of encumbrances: liens, prohibitions, servitudes, mortgages.
It is Also Important to Check:
- whether the seller truly owns the entire plot, not just a share;
- whether one spouse is selling without the other’s consent or if the owners have encumbrances that may restrict the sale (e.g., being listed in the debtors’ register or under a tax lien).
Checking Privatization
It is very common to encounter cases where land has not actually been formalized as private property under current requirements. A seller may show an old state act issued before 2013, without registration in the register or a cadastral number. In such cases, checking the state act often reveals that without a cadastral number registration of ownership is impossible, and absence of a record in the register means private ownership is not legally confirmed. Such plots require additional formalization, assignment of a cadastral number, and registration of ownership rights.
How to Find Out If a Land Plot is Privatized?
To determine whether a land plot is privatized, obtain an extract from the State Register of Property Rights to Immovable Property. If it shows private ownership registered to an individual or legal entity, the plot is considered privatized.
Additionally, via the electronic services portal of the land cadastre, you can order “Information about the landowner” using an electronic signature. After entering the cadastral number and processing the request, you receive updated information on ownership rights.
If the plot is not registered, a purchase agreement cannot be concluded, regardless of the parties’ intentions.
Encumbrances: Liens, Leases, Restrictions
A land plot may have encumbrances that significantly affect its acquisition or use. The most common are liens, mortgages, leases, servitudes, or other disposal restrictions. Sellers often do not disclose these, but they become an issue after the contract is signed. Therefore, checking all legal restrictions is a critical step before purchasing.
A Land Plot May Be Subject to:
- liens by court or enforcement service orders;
- lease agreements that are not always mentioned in the documents;
- use restrictions — protected or sanitary zones, shoreline strips.
Thus, it is important to review the list of land use restrictions that may limit or prevent development.
How to Check If a Land Lease Agreement is Registered?
To verify whether a land lease agreement is registered, obtain an extract from the State Register of Property Rights to Immovable Property. Under Ukraine’s Law “On Land Lease,” registration is mandatory and occurs only after the contract is signed. The lease term starts from the moment of registration.
Checking Land Plot Boundaries
Boundary overlaps are among the most common issues. In the register, the plot may appear correct, but in reality it is “encroached upon” by a neighbor, partially located on municipal land, or includes water or forest fund land, or overlaps with a neighboring plot. Such situations often come to light only after purchase, when the new owner tries to fence the area or start construction.
To avoid conflicts and possible court disputes, it is important not only to check the cadastral map but also to find out how to determine land plot boundaries on the ground and ensure that the actual location matches the cadastral data.
How to Check Land Plot Boundaries?
Boundaries can be checked using existing technical documentation, but the most effective option is to engage a land surveyor for a geodetic survey.
Dominion Law Firm has experience in properly checking land plot boundaries, identifying conflicts with neighboring plots, and providing solutions that meet your needs — from voluntary adjustments to judicial protection of your rights.
Court Disputes, Enforcement Proceedings, Risks
Land may be involved in court disputes or debts of a previous owner. For example, when ownership, property division, debt recovery, or contract invalidation is being litigated. In such cases, the court may impose a lien prohibiting any transactions. Additionally, a land plot may be included in enforcement proceedings as collateral for the previous owner’s debts, which also makes its sale impossible.
Legal transactions with such plots are not only risky but often directly prohibited by law. A notary will refuse to certify a contract if there is a lien or mortgage. This stage is equally important for safe ownership.
Qualified lawyers analyze all relevant registers to identify potential legal risks associated with a land plot.
In summary, legal due diligence of a land plot is a case where professional work truly pays off. Self-analysis of a cadastral map or a register extract is just the tip of the iceberg. Many believe checking a plot by cadastral number is enough to make a decision. An experienced lawyer sees what is not obvious: whether the plot is properly formed, what “tails” are attached to the owner, or if there is an ongoing court dispute over the land.
If you are wondering how to check a land plot by cadastral number or only want to verify the cadastral number — that is not enough without deeper analysis. Comprehensive legal due diligence includes analysis of multiple registers, including the landowners register, documentation, related legal nuances, and, most importantly, correct interpretation of all this information. This type of due diligence provides a solid foundation for making a safe and informed decision on land acquisition.
