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DeedLens

Case study

One real purchase, from first paper to follow up

DeedLens began with the founder's household. Her husband bought plots in the FCT, Nasarawa and Enugu, and the papers raised questions about charges, building deadlines, title and allocation. He first worked through them with a general AI assistant; DeedLens now does the same work from the papers, and this is its own output on those papers, with names covered.

Read this first. The rules were written with these papers in view, so this shows the workflow on real papers, not accuracy on papers DeedLens has never seen. It is not a customer and not a testimonial. People, companies, estates, districts, file numbers and beacon numbers are covered; the papers' own figures are not.

The lead matter

Deal
Estate plot from a developer selling on another company's C of O
State
Federal Capital Territory
Plot
Plot A3, [estate], [district]
The plan
Hold it for now
Payment
Paid in full
Allocation
Not yet shown

Stage 1

The first papers

A final allocation letter, the estate's terms and the receipt for full payment: one PDF of nine pages. The questions were the ones every buyer has: what else will I pay, by when must I build, and when do I get title?
  1. 01Document evidence

    • Allocation letter1 page
    • Estate terms7 pages
    • Receipt for full payment1 page

    9 pages in one PDF

  2. 02What DeedLens found

    • stopNo root of title: the pack has no C of O, community conveyance or consent.allocation letter, page 1
    • askClause 1.3 promises title on full payment, and the pack has a final allocation letter, but no deed for the buyer.estate terms, page 1
    • askClause 1.6 sets a yearly facility management fee without stating the amount, and it can be reviewed upward.estate terms, page 2
    • askThe route to the buyer's own title (sectional title, subdivision or consented sublease) is not stated.
    • askClause 6 treats the buyer as accepting every term if they do not object within 48 hours of receiving them.estate terms, page 5
    • askSurvey plan not yet received: the pack has no survey for Plot A3.allocation letter, page 1
    • noteClause 4.2 says the allocation letter is not title.estate terms, page 4
    • noteClause 2.2 requires construction within 24 months or 30% forfeiture; added to the obligations calendar.estate terms, page 3
    • noteClause 1.5 lets the infrastructure fee rise by 10% every quarter.estate terms, page 2
    • noteClause 5.1(a): resale needs a 5% transfer fee; Clause 1.2(iii): refunds lose 30%.estate terms, page 5
    • noteClauses 2.7, 2.9 and 4.2: reselling or transferring the plot needs the developer's approval.estate terms, page 3
    • noteClause 4.7 lets the developer change these terms on its own.estate terms, page 4
    • noteClause 1.5 charges an infrastructure fee, but nothing in the pack says what infrastructure is in place or when the rest will be delivered.estate terms, page 2
  3. 03Next step and draft

    An email to the developer, 7 pointsSubject: Plot A3, [estate], [district]: questions on the documentsShow the draft
    Dear Sir or Madam,
    
    I am the buyer of Plot A3, [estate], [district]. I have paid in full. I have not yet been shown the physical allocation. I will sign the allottee page once these points are clarified.
    
    Having gone through the documents, I would be grateful for your answers on these points:
    
    1. Clause 1.3 promises title on full payment, and the documents I have received include a final allocation letter, but no deed for the buyer (Clause 1.3 of the estate terms). Please send the deed of assignment or the title documents now, with a date and any cost.
    2. Clause 1.5 charges an infrastructure fee, but nothing in the documents I have received says what infrastructure is in place or when the rest will be delivered (Clause 1.5 of the estate terms). Please tell me what infrastructure (roads, drainage, power, water) is in place now, and the schedule and cost for the rest.
    3. Clause 1.5 lets the infrastructure fee rise by 10% every quarter (Clause 1.5 of the estate terms). Please tell me when the fee can first be demanded, and how much notice you will give.
    4. Clause 2.2 requires construction within 24 months or 30% forfeiture (Clause 2.2 of the estate terms). Please tell me when the period starts.
    5. Clause 1.6 sets a yearly facility management fee without stating the amount, and it can be reviewed upward (Clause 1.6 of the estate terms). Please send the amount, when it starts, what it covers and how often and by how much it can be reviewed, in writing.
    6. Clause 6 treats the buyer as accepting every term if they do not object within 48 hours of receiving them (Clause 6 of the estate terms). Please note that I do not accept any term by silence; I will confirm in writing the terms I accept.
    7. When will I be shown the physical allocation of Plot A3, with its beacons?
    
    I would appreciate a written answer to each of these.
    
    Thank you.
  4. 04Response and status

    At the time, the buyer worked these questions out with a general AI assistant and planned to email the developer. The draft here is DeedLens's own, made later from the same papers.

Stage 2

More papers, new questions

Six phone photos followed: the estate's C of O, the offer of the right of occupancy, the survey, the layout and two allocation letters. They settled two points and raised new ones, the biggest being that the C of O is held by a different company from the one selling the plot.
  1. 01Document evidence

    • The estate's C of O (photo)1 page
    • Offer of statutory right of occupancy (photo)1 page
    • Survey plan (photo)1 page
    • Estate layout (photo, a drawing with no text DeedLens could read)1 page
    • Allocation letter1 page
    • Allocation letter1 page

    6 phone photos, two of them iPhone pictures

  2. 02What DeedLens found

    New

    • stopThe C of O is held by [title holder company], not by [developer], the developer selling the plot, and nothing in the pack links the two.C of O, page 1
    • askCondition 4 required development within 2 years of the 2013 grant, by 14 October 2015. The pack shows no development evidence or extension.C of O, page 1
    • askNo ground rent receipt for this year on file [file number]. The title ground rent is ₦1,011,516.90 a year, and Condition 12(ii) allows revocation after 3 months of arrears. FCT ground rent is due on 1 January, and arrears led to mass revocations in 2025.C of O, page 1
    • askThe only survey covers a different parcel ([beacon] to [beacon]), not Plot A3. There is no survey or approved subdivision for the plot.survey plan, page 1
    • noteTerm computed: 99 years from 14 October 2013 ends on 13 October 2112; no registration particulars are shown.C of O, page 1

    Settled by the new papers

    • stopNo root of title: the pack has no C of O, community conveyance or consent.allocation letter, page 1
    • askSurvey plan not yet received: the pack has no survey for Plot A3.allocation letter, page 1
  3. 03Corrections by a person

    • Ground rent. Read as ₦1,019,516.90 at 27% confidence and held for a person, who corrected it to ₦1,011,516.90 from the photo. The reading stays on file beside the correction.
    • The holder's name. A typing slip the reader made in the title holder's name, corrected by a person.
  4. 04Response and status

    Every new finding was raised by a rule from the papers. None was confirmed or dismissed by a lawyer.

Stage 3

The message

The buyer chose the points that needed the developer's answer. DeedLens drafted the WhatsApp message: each point numbered, tied to its page, with one clear request.
  1. 01Document evidence

    The buyer's own context, entered once: paid in full, physical allocation not yet shown, a visit to the developer's office.

  2. 02The points chosen

    1. 1.Please send your agreement with [title holder company] (in FCT mass housing, the Development Lease Agreement).
    2. 2.Please send the deed of assignment or the title documents now, with a date and any cost.
    3. 3.Please send a survey of Plot A3 by a SURCON registered surveyor, or the approved subdivision of the mother plot.
    4. 4.Please send the AGIS ground rent statement for file [file number].
    5. 5.Please give me a date to be shown Plot A3 on the ground, with its beacons. I would also like a registered surveyor to survey the plot, tied to the estate's beacons, and would appreciate the estate's cooperation.
  3. 03Next step and draft

    WhatsApp to the developerShow the draft
    Good day sir,
    
    I am the buyer of Plot A3, [estate], [district]. I have paid in full. I have not yet been shown the physical allocation. I visited your office and met your head of marketing, who gave me the documents and answered some of my questions.
    
    Having gone through the documents, I would be grateful for your answers on these points:
    
    1. The C of O is held by [title holder company], not by [developer], the developer selling the plot, and nothing in the documents I have received links the two (the C of O, page 1). Please send your agreement with [title holder company] (in FCT mass housing, the Development Lease Agreement).
    2. Clause 1.3 promises title on full payment, and the documents I have received include a final allocation letter, but no deed for the buyer (Clause 1.3 of the estate terms). Please send the deed of assignment or the title documents now, with a date and any cost.
    3. The only survey covers a different parcel ([beacon] to [beacon]), not Plot A3. There is no survey or approved subdivision for the plot (the survey plan, page 1). Please send a survey of Plot A3 by a SURCON registered surveyor, or the approved subdivision of the mother plot.
    4. No ground rent receipt for this year on file [file number]. The title ground rent is ₦1,011,516.90 a year, and Condition 12(ii) allows revocation after 3 months of arrears. FCT ground rent is due on 1 January, and arrears led to mass revocations in 2025 (Condition 12(ii) of the C of O). Please send the AGIS ground rent statement for file [file number].
    5. Please give me a date to be shown Plot A3 on the ground, with its beacons. I would also like a registered surveyor to survey the plot, tied to the estate's beacons, and would appreciate the estate's cooperation.
    
    I would appreciate a written answer to each of these.
    
    Thank you.
  4. 04Response and status

    The buyer sent a message with these points from his own phone; at the time it was drafted with the general AI assistant. The draft here is DeedLens's own, from the same papers, and the reply below answered the message he sent.

Stage 4

The reply

The developer answered within a day: a contract of sale could be prepared instead of a deed, and the site was being made ready for physical allocation. The other points went unanswered.

The reply, as received

“Good morning sir. If you can visit this morning between 9-10, I'll be available to show you physically the pending documents or we can meet next week if that also works. If you want a contract of sale that can be initiated. We stopped giving deeds because clients were abusing it. Hence the change of approach. We are preparing the site for physical allocation. Once that is done, my office will contact you. Thank you sir. I appreciate the concerns raised and your reaching out to me.”

Where each point stands

  1. 1.Please send your agreement with [title holder company] (in FCT mass housing, the Development Lease Agreement).No answer yet
  2. 2.Please send the deed of assignment or the title documents now, with a date and any cost.Offered a contract of sale instead of a deed: "We stopped giving deeds".Partly answered
  3. 3.Please send a survey of Plot A3 by a SURCON registered surveyor, or the approved subdivision of the mother plot.No answer yet
  4. 4.Please send the AGIS ground rent statement for file [file number].No answer yet
  5. 5.Please give me a date to be shown Plot A3 on the ground, with its beacons. I would also like a registered surveyor to survey the plot, tied to the estate's beacons, and would appreciate the estate's cooperation.The site is being prepared for physical allocation; the office will call once it is ready.Promised

Stage 5

Where it stands

The matter is open. One point is partly answered, one is promised, three have no answer. DeedLens drafted a follow up that asks again for only those. A later voice note from the developer could not be transcribed, so it is not counted as an answer.
  1. 01Open

    • 1 point partly answered: a contract of sale offered instead of the deed.
    • 1 point promised: the physical allocation, once the site is ready.
    • 3 points with no answer: the link between the developer and the title holder, the survey of the plot, and the ground rent.
  2. 02Resolved

    Nothing was marked resolved. A reply is not a resolution, and a promise is not the paper.

  3. 03Next step and draft

    The follow up, 5 pointsShow the draft
    Good day sir,
    
    Thank you for your reply to my message of [date]. I will visit once the physical allocation is ready. Yes, please prepare the contract of sale and let me see it before I sign.
    
    These points are still open, and I would be grateful for an answer to each:
    
    1. The C of O is held by [title holder company], not by [developer], the developer selling the plot, and nothing in the documents I have received links the two (the C of O, page 1). Please send your agreement with [title holder company] (in FCT mass housing, the Development Lease Agreement).
    2. Clause 1.3 promises title on full payment, and the documents I have received include a final allocation letter, but no deed for the buyer (Clause 1.3 of the estate terms). Thank you for your answer on this; part of it is still open. Please send the deed of assignment or the title documents now, with a date and any cost.
    3. The only survey covers a different parcel ([beacon] to [beacon]), not Plot A3. There is no survey or approved subdivision for the plot (the survey plan, page 1). Please send a survey of Plot A3 by a SURCON registered surveyor, or the approved subdivision of the mother plot.
    4. No ground rent receipt for this year on file [file number]. The title ground rent is ₦1,011,516.90 a year, and Condition 12(ii) allows revocation after 3 months of arrears. FCT ground rent is due on 1 January, and arrears led to mass revocations in 2025 (Condition 12(ii) of the C of O). Please send the AGIS ground rent statement for file [file number].
    5. Please give me a date to be shown Plot A3 on the ground, with its beacons. I would also like a registered surveyor to survey the plot, tied to the estate's beacons, and would appreciate the estate's cooperation. You said this would follow. Please tell me when to expect it.
    
    I would appreciate a written answer to each of these.
    
    Thank you.
  4. 04Response and status

    The matter is open. A later voice note from the developer could not be transcribed, so it is not counted as an answer.

Shorter examples

Three more points, from the other purchases

Each from a separate purchase, kept apart: an estate in Nasarawa bought as two plots, and a sublease in Enugu.

Nasarawa · plot size

Document evidence
the contract, page 1; the provisional allocation letter, page 1
Finding
The contract says 225 sqm; the provisional allocation letter says 450 sqm each. The larger figure would cover both plots together, but the provisional allocation letter does not say so.
Next step
Ask the developer to confirm the size of each plot in a signed letter before any further payment.
Draft
Please confirm the size of each plot in a signed letter before any further payment.
Status
The buyer confirmed the contract's 225 sqm is right. DeedLens worked the infrastructure fee out again on 225 sqm: ₦9,000,000 for the two plots, not ₦18,000,000.

Nasarawa · fees

Document evidence
the contract, page 7; the provisional allocation letter, page 1
Finding
The further fees are higher on the provisional allocation letter than on the contract: survey plan ₦150,000 to ₦250,000, legal documentation ₦100,000 to ₦250,000, building plan approvals ₦600,000 to ₦800,000, supervisory fee ₦100,000 to ₦350,000 and excavation fee ₦250,000 to ₦400,000.
Next step
Ask the developer which fee list binds this buyer, in writing, and whether fees can rise again after signing.
Draft
Please tell me which fee list binds this buyer, in writing, and whether fees can rise again after signing.
Status
The original conversation caught three of these rises; DeedLens lists all five, with the page of each list.

Enugu · dates

Document evidence
the deed of sublease, page 4
Finding
“Three (3) years” from 4 March 2025 is written as ending 3 March 2027; it ends on 3 March 2028.
Next step
Ask the grantor for a signed correction of the date in Clause 3(i).
Draft
Please send a signed correction of the date in Clause 3(i).
Status
Drafted in a WhatsApp message trimmed, as the buyer asked, to the fence, the survey plan and the date.

Evaluation

How DeedLens did on these papers

Measured against the points the buyer's original conversation raised, on the same papers. These numbers describe these papers only.

43 of 50

points from the original conversation found from the papers alone; 4 more once a person answers what a page cannot show, such as whether a signature is there.

  • Question 1, the FCT plot16 of 17
  • Question 3, the FCT plot7 of 8
  • Question 4, the FCT plot1 of 1
  • Question 6, Enugu10 of 11
  • Question 9, Nasarawa9 of 13
Messages the buyer asked for
3 of 3 drafted right
Quoted evidence found on its page
29 of 29
Known differences between papers found
3 of 3
False alarms among comparison findings
0 of 4
Made up attacks and broken files handled
5 of 5
Requests for another company's records that got through
0 of 58

What it still misses

  • Clause 1.2(a) is drafted to make the vendor liable after the buyer's default
  • Clause 5(iii): excess land charged at market price
  • The root is a registered survey, family receipt and deed of assignment; no C of O, ask about NAGIS

What went wrong on the way, and was fixed

Running the real papers found real faults. Each was fixed in the reader and tested, and the runs above are after the fixes. Earlier the same question list scored 35 of 50, and Nasarawa 1 of 13.

  • A naira sign read as “NM1” on a phone photo turned ₦15,750,000 into ₦115,750,000 and raised two false alarms.

    Fixed: The amount in words now settles the figure, and a value read with low confidence waits for a person.

  • A word lost at the end of a line (“Eight Million Four / Thousand”) raised a false figures against words alarm on the Nasarawa letter.

    Fixed: Words that agree once a lost hundred, thousand or million is put back are treated as a misreading, not a mismatch.

  • Twelve WhatsApp photos of two papers were read as twelve documents, so the plot sizes and fee lists were never compared.

    Fixed: A photo taken seconds after another, with no title of its own, is now read as the next page of the same paper.

  • A screenshot of the developer's WhatsApp reply was filed as an estate layout.

    Fixed: Chat screenshots are now recognised as messages, kept apart from the deal's documents.

  • The ground rent on the C of O photo was read as ₦1,019,516.90, at 27% confidence; the paper says ₦1,011,516.90.

    Fixed: A figure the reader is unsure of is now held for a person before any check uses it. Here a person corrected it.

How these numbers were made: the papers are the founder's household's, and the rules were written with them in view; the answers were drafted from the original conversation, not yet by a lawyer; no papers were held back for a blind test yet. The next step is papers DeedLens has never seen, judged by a property lawyer.

Next step

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