Does the notary check the property before the purchase?

Ownership yes, encumbrances no. The notary checks whether the seller is the owner and whether the special requirements of the transaction are met (Art. 586(1) of the Civil Procedure Code, GPK), and whether a freezing order under the law on the forfeiture of illegally acquired assets exists (Art. 25(2) of the Notaries Act, ZNND). Mortgages and seizures are checked only on the parties' instruction (Art. 22 ZNND). The encumbrance check therefore belongs before the notary appointment, in a lawyer's hands: encumbrance certificate covering ten years, cadastral sketch, tax-valuation certificate, powers of attorney including revocation, and for new builds the use permit and the development plan. Svetlana works with experienced lawyers from her network for this and never takes a property to the notary without that review.