Cyprus-Forum.com

[brother]

Foreigners in north declare land war
By Simon Bahceli


A GROUP of foreign nationals living in Greek Cypriot properties north of the Green Line say they are on the verge of launching a legal and political battle in an effort to win the right to remain in the properties they bought after the island was invaded in 1974.

Calling themselves the European Property Association of North Cyprus (EUPRO), the group say they will help foreigners ‘targeted’ by Greek Cypriots seeking to regain possession of the properties they were forced to abandon.

EUPRO’s formation comes in response to fears among many of the north’s several thousand-strong foreign community that they could stand to lose the Greek Cypriot properties they bought following legal action currently being sought against Linda and David Orams, a British couple living in a Lapithos. The case is particularly ominous for them because it is the first to target individuals rather than states.

Adding to their fears is the possibility that the Orams’ trial, although initially conducted in courts of the Cyprus Republic, could be transferred to courts in any country within the EU if those found culpable refuse to abide by the rulings against them.

The EU courts could then, in principal at least, seize the assets abroad of those refusing to comply with the Cyprus courts.

“We are building a war chest, and we shall use that to good effect,” a EUPRO spokesman was quoted as saying in the north’s English-language weekly Cyprus Today at the weekend, suggesting that the gloves were well and truly off in the battle over Greek Cypriot properties in the north.

“The long silence is over, and from now on Greek Cypriot claims will not pass by default. Their propaganda machine has been successful in alarming owners and potential buyers in the north, but those days are over,” the spokesman claimed, adding: “If we have anything to do with it, there will be no more cases like the Orams’”.

EUPRO chairman Shelly White refused to speak to the Cyprus Mail yesterday saying she was “not interested in giving fodder to Greek Cypriot propaganda”, but the group’s treasurer Ian Betts was more forthcoming.

He told the paper that, as well as seeking to promote the north’s legitimacy, EUPRO provided “a focal point for anyone who has problems” regarding the property issue. He expressed hope that the north’s authorities would be willing to work with them.

Betts said the response to EUPROs call for members had been swift.

“It is early days yet, but we have already signed up a couple of hundred members,” he said, adding that “quite a mixture” of nationalities, including British, Germans and Americans were signing up. A number of Turkish Cypriots living abroad were also said to be included on EUPRO’s membership list.

That such large numbers are joining EUPRO is perhaps a clear sign of just how worried many of the north’s foreign community are.

“One didn’t come and retire here for a feeling of great insecurity,” one new member who preferred to remain nameless told the Mail yesterday.

He added that he had joined EUPRO because he did not want to be “picked off individually” by Greek Cypriots taking legal action, and preferred to “stand together” with others in the same predicament.

EUPRO, which has been registered as a limited company in the UK, placed a full-page advert in last weekend’s Cyprus Today calling on foreign residents to join for a fee of £25. The adverts said EUPRO sought to “represent the collective interests of the members relating to their title of claim to immovable property whether in the United Kingdom, any other country in which they are domiciled, or in Cyprus”.

The body also pledged to “promote and publicise the interests of the Members and the Company in the international media, or by lobbying government institutions within and without the EU”.

[brother]

Life just got interesting in north cyprus again.

[magikthrill]

A question I have is why is it only the Orams that went to court and not the actual person who sole the land that didnt belong to him???

[brother]

At a guess he is probably a settler and has since long gone back to turkey or its just not enforceable.
The reason they are having a go at the orams is that they have property in the U.K so there is a chance of financial compensation/gain there.

[Piratis]

If they want war they will have it.

[brother]

Ease up my friend its not always necesary to fight fire with fire, lets see what they got up there sleeve first as i suspect this is nothing more than harmless barking with no bite.

[donyork]

I know how keen everyone here is to have their facts absolutely straight, so it is worth noting when referring to the Orams case that it is only the wife who has an order against, not the husband since no summons was served on him and he has never been to court. The disputed property in the north is in joint names, and so is their home in England. This makes the question of enforcing an order in the UK — it cannot be enforced in the north — somewhat difficult since under English law a claim against one owner of a property cannot be enforced if the other owner is not involved in whatever claim is being made. For example, a bank cannot foreclose on the joint property of a debtor if the debtor does not have sole title. The mistake made here by the GC lawyer is that he can hope for only half an order, and half ain't worth anything. There are other problems of course, Articles 22 and 34 of the relevant EU directive do not encourage a betting man to put money on enforcement, but — hi, who wants to know the law?

[boulio]

IF MRS. ORAM hit someone with her car and killed him,and the insurance she has on the car is not enough,and the victims family personally sues her they cannot sue her for her house because her husband wasent driving?

[donyork]

Correct

[boulio]

im sorry i have no knowledge of british law,but it sounds remarkable and unbelievable actually,the only time someones personal assets are protected is if the have entered in a corp. or llc or llp.not by marriage at least here in the USA.