Cyprus-Forum.com

[BOF]

I don't think anyone has actually lost any homes in the free areas with the equivalent scams we are presented with by the actions of the Turks in the occupied areas.

Yeah, some loudmouths wanted to extort Billions from Cypriot developers and (inadvertently) over-publicised their own greed, but there are no justified grievances!

from todays Cyprus Mail

Further proof that no one has ACTUALLY lost any of their homes through such scams. But issues of shoddy work and contractual disputes arise as they do anywhere else -- don't encourage me to post evidence from the UK and my friend's fiasco with a "starter home"

Anyone can go crying to the Cyprus Mail with alleged stories. Not disputing this couples plight, but to offer it as a credible link to highlight a point is pathetic. You can dig up shit and on any country is you want. Since the CM sells to the brits, then its obvious they are looking to 'cash in' on these poor peoples misfortunes.

The difference between issues in legalised countries and illegal occupied areas such as the 'trnc', is that, in the illegal areas you can run to no where when you have been shafted.

BOF you certainly live up to your nic. "Big 'Orrible Fartypants"

the thread is about property scams in cyprus is it not?
so whats with the "your dad is worse than my dad" shit?
clearly schools out - be careful how you ride your moped along the road from Orphonides to Elizantre its very dangerous!

First of all I don't own a moped and I have no idea what Elizantre is.

Seems you have me mixed up with someone you think i am????

Try again. Oh and don't worry I can take care of myself.

I hope he wasn't making some deranged reference to that unfortunate GC teenager who was followed by some holidaying Brits to ram him off his moped and kill him!
BOF isn't usually like this.
Maybe he's being influenced by that furtive pro-Turk-in-Cyprus gasbag.

you know me better than that Oracle - that was a cheap shot - you also know i dont use foul language in posts and dont personally abuse other posters - so i expect the same.
If someone cannot articulate without every sentence containing gutter language they arnt worth talking to ......

[Gasman]

From today's Cyprus Mail:

Buying a house here has destroyed us

A BRITISH couple is planning to sue an Avgorou property developer, after he allegedly sold them an unfinished and illegally built house, demanded additional payments and then waged a campaign of harassment that has “destroyed” their lives.

Janet and Keith Smith say the harassment began after they learned their first lawyer was simultaneously representing the developer, and had stalled their planned legal action. Having appointed a new lawyer, the couple said their home was attacked, cement thrown in their pool and their car tyres slashed.

Fortunately, the Smiths seem to have found an ally in the President's Under Secretary, Titos Christofides, who has promised to support them by preventing delays in the court case and launching full investigations into the lawyer and the developer.

“At the end of the day this is a tragic story,” Christofides said yesterday. “I think that they are right, but they are in a difficult position from a legal point of view. We (the President’s Office) cannot solve the problem but we try, as far as our office’s responsibilities go, to make sure that it is solved in an honest and proper way.”

He added: “All our sympathies are with them.”

Like many British couples, the Smiths came to Cyprus with dreams of a fresh start in a sunnier climate. In the wake of a family tragedy, they sold their home in the UK and bought a house in Avgorou in Famagusta for €205,000.

Janet Smith said: "We have been coming to Cyprus for years, and after our daughter died we decided to bring our grandson here for a new start. He is fifteen now but he's been in our custody since he was three."

However, when they arrived in March 2009 to begin their new life, they discovered that their dream home property was incomplete, drawing electricity from next door and without its own supply of running water.

In the meantime they said the developer started demanding payment to complete the property’s basic infrastructure, such as steps outside and a water tank on the roof. The Smiths also claim he took an advance for a swimming pool and air conditioning which he has not completed.

"The electricity was off more than it was on, and he (the builder) started demanding money for work on the house. At that time we were very vulnerable and so we continued to pay" said Smith.

With escalating costs and their savings dwindling, they sought legal help. However, after months of pressing their lawyer, it transpired that he also represented the builder.

The Smiths found another lawyer, after which the relationship with the builder became hostile, they said, as he allegedly refused to plumb the house into the water mains, or connect the house to the electricity grid.

The couple then fell victim to a campaign of harassment that caused untold misery, health problems and further costs. "Once, the girlfriend of the builder arrived at the house and began verbally abusing me, saying that nobody would support us because we were English, and telling us to go home. I was frightened." Smith reported the incident to Xylofagou police, who cautioned the woman on February 26.

"It's destroyed us. It has made me very ill, we've run out of cash and we’re being harassed out of the country." said Smith, who says the ordeal has exacerbated her diabetes and cost them thousands in flights, to and from Cyprus, furniture shipping costs and rent in the UK.

The attacks also had affected their 15-year-old grandson, and just months after moving in they sent him back to the UK to live with one of his aunts because he did not feel safe.

In desperation, the Smiths went to the Presidential Palace and insisted on having their concerns heard.

They are due to go back to the UK later this week, returning to Cyprus for the trial. “I don't want to disrespect this country, but we feel we don't want to be here anymore. We just want our money back and to make sure this does not happen to any other families.”

The couple wants to hear from any other house buyers with similar experiences and have invited them to phone on +442476346210 or +447977825768

[Oracle]

From today's Cyprus Mail:

Buying a house here has destroyed us

Why don't you buzz off then! Or are you just "advertising" again to "inform" others?

What a pioneer ....

[bill cobbett]

Look... enough of the attempts to distract from the matter of the property market in the Occupied North.

The situation in the Free Areas is sometimes regretable in in a pretty small number of cases and the title deed problem is rightly condemned but it as as nothing either in scale or in its legal substance to the scams going on in the Occupied Areas.

from Lit's OP...

The former Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash visited the village where the auction was taking place in order to express his support to the British residents.

“Behind this there are 1400 British citizen in the same situation having houses which will be subject of sale”, said Denktash.

He added that if this trend continues the housing sector in north Cyprus will totally collapse.

There is the scale of the problem ....1,400 face a very real eviction... in situations where the not to be trusted Illegal Regime issued assurances that their "purchases" were "safe"... CAN ANY OF THE THIEF SUPPORTING SCUMBAGS come up with a similar scale for the Free Areas please?

Then consider the legal base, so again CAN ANY OF THE USUAL THIEVING SCUMBAGS remind us of the Murdering and Raping Jerkish Army and its annexation of 1/3rd of CY and remind us of the Scammy Exchange System that attempts to dispossess tens of thousands and go on to remind us of how tens of thousands were thrown out of their homes at the point of Turkish guns please?

Having got that off chest... sympathies for those of you have troubles of your own with deeds and developers in the Free Areas and would join with anyone in condemning the government of The Republic who have promised action for years now and who have delivered sod all and in condemning the sharp practises of too many developers.

[Svetlana]

It is beyond my understanding why immediate and effective action has not been taken by the Government - what do they do with their time!!!

Who benefits form the immediate transfer of Deeds on purchase:

i) The Purchaser, beacuse of the protection it gives.

ii) The Government because it would bring forward a much needed wave of revenue, through Property Transfer Tax.

iii) Developers and the construction industry, as the greater confidence would make the purchase of property in Cyprus, more attractive.

The disadvantages would be....?

[YFred]

It is beyond my understanding why immediate and effective action has not been taken by the Government - what do they do with their time!!!

Who benefits form the immediate transfer of Deeds on purchase:

i) The Purchaser, beacuse of the protection it gives.

ii) The Government because it would bring forward a much needed wave of revenue, through Property Transfer Tax.

iii) Developers and the construction industry, as the greater confidence would make the purchase of property in Cyprus, more attractive.

The disadvantages would be....?

I blame the people who pay the money under these circumstances. If people did not pay the money without the title deeds then this problem would not exist.

Lets face it the too many developers, lawyers and the politicians on both sides are crooks.

[Gasman]

The disadvantages would be....?

Maybe that it's just not 'how it's done' in Cyprus?

[B25]

It is beyond my understanding why immediate and effective action has not been taken by the Government - what do they do with their time!!!

Who benefits form the immediate transfer of Deeds on purchase:

i) The Purchaser, beacuse of the protection it gives.

ii) The Government because it would bring forward a much needed wave of revenue, through Property Transfer Tax.

iii) Developers and the construction industry, as the greater confidence would make the purchase of property in Cyprus, more attractive.

The disadvantages would be....?

Those benefits would be true if the systems were in place.

the disadvantages are;

1. You would be breaking the current laws
2. All the planning regulations will go out of the window
3. You would have total chaos
4. the land registry would be a mess
5. No one would know for sure where theri boundaries are
6. No one will know exactly how many sq.metres they had
7. The immovable properties law cap 224 would be rendered void
8. You would never known what you were buying or selling

I could go on, but you get the picture.

For the benefits to happen, the systems need revision in an orderly and timely fashion and this is what the RoC is trying to acheive, albeit, very slowly and painfully.

[Acikgoz]

One person I was once introduced to gave me a serious argument that he believed if someone can be conned then they deserve to be conned.
I was disgusted and made sure I kept as far as possible.

The legal system is meant to be there to stop fraudulent activity. This is criminal as far as I am concerned, the developer knew the property was being purchased for the freehold title, did not present there was a lean on the property which has a tangible risk to the buyer. If Madoff ran a ponzi scheme that was deemed criminal, surely these types of action are too as you are not selling what you are saying you are selling (yes loads of loose ends, but you get my principle).

I have a TC friend who had his house built (in a really botched up way, nothing like the plans) by a family friend's developer whose wife is a judge. He's been trying to get a straight lawyer for years, guess what, the law case continues.....

[YFred]

One person I was once introduced to gave me a serious argument that he believed if someone can be conned then they deserve to be conned.
I was disgusted and made sure I kept as far as possible.

The legal system is meant to be there to stop fraudulent activity. This is criminal as far as I am concerned, the developer knew the property was being purchased for the freehold title, did not present there was a lean on the property which has a tangible risk to the buyer. If Madoff ran a ponzi scheme that was deemed criminal, surely these types of action are too as you are not selling what you are saying you are selling (yes loads of loose ends, but you get my principle).

I have a TC friend who had his house built (in a really botched up way, nothing like the plans) by a family friend's developer whose wife is a judge. He's been trying to get a straight lawyer for years, guess what, the law case continues.....

What these people are doing is no comparisson to what Madoff made off with. He swindled 50 billion pounds worth.