17/05/2026
_*BUYING LAND FROM A FAMILY HEAD WITHOUT CONSENT CAN COST YOU MORETHAN YOU THINK*_
Many people believe that once the family head agrees to sell land, the deal is done.
They think, “After all, he’s the head who else do I need?”
But in law, family land is not the property of one person, no matter his position or influence.
Here’s what most buyers don’t know
When land belongs to a family, the head of the family holds it in trust for all the members. He doesn’t own it personally. That means he cannot validly sell or transfer any part of that land without the consent of the principal members of the family.
Why is that important?
Because when he sells family land without that collective consent, the transaction becomes voidable meaning it can later be challenged and set aside by the other family members.
So imagine this
You buy a piece of land from the family head. You fence it. You even start building.
Then one day, other members of the family show up and say,
“We didn’t authorize this sale.”
At that point, your “ownership” becomes shaky. The court may rule that the sale was invalid and you could lose everything, even after spending millions.
You see why due diligence isn’t optional?
Before buying family land, make sure your lawyer verifies that:
🥢 The family head and principal members all consented to the sale.
🥢 The consent was properly documented in writing (often in the Deed of Assignment).
🥢 There’s evidence of the family meeting or authorization approving the sale.
In some cases, the family may delegate specific members to act for ut even that delegation must be clear and traceable.
In short don’t be deceived by “I’m the head of the family” talk. In law, the head cannot sell family land alone. He holds it in trust, not in ownership.
Always involve a lawyer to verify the sale before you pay because in property transactions, what you don’t know can ruin what you worked for.
