What a power of attorney does in property
A power of attorney (POA) lets one person act legally on another's behalf. In property, a POA can authorise someone to manage, or even sell, a property for the actual owner. That power is useful — and dangerous, because a forged or misused POA can transfer property the holder never had the right to sell.
GPA vs SPA
- General Power of Attorney (GPA): broad authority over many matters. Convenient, but risky to grant and risky to rely on as a buyer.
- Special Power of Attorney (SPA): narrow authority for a specific transaction. Safer, because the scope is limited and explicit.
Why GPA sales are a red flag
If a property is being sold by someone holding a General Power of Attorney rather than the owner directly, ask why. GPA sales are a common vehicle for fraud — forged GPAs, revoked GPAs presented as valid, and GPAs used to sell property the principal never intended to sell.
How to verify a power of attorney
- Confirm the POA is registered, not merely notarised, for property transactions.
- Confirm it is current — that it has not been revoked.
- Confirm it explicitly grants the power to sell, not just to manage.
- Wherever possible, speak directly to the principal (the actual owner) to confirm they intend the sale.
- For NRI owners, be especially careful — absent owners are the most common victims of POA fraud.
The NRI dimension
NRIs frequently grant a POA to a relative to manage Indian property — and frequently discover years later that the property was sold or mortgaged without their knowledge. If you are an NRI, grant a narrow, registered SPA, limit its scope, and have a trusted independent party verify any document claiming to act on your behalf.
How propxpraman helps
When a sale involves a power of attorney, our report flags it explicitly and lists exactly what must be verified — registration, currency, scope, and principal confirmation — so a POA never becomes the gap a fraudster walks through.