Cyprus-Forum.com

[ashleigh]

Yes janet, i will keep you updated

[janet.smith653]

I am so sorry to hear about your situation Janet.

I am sorry but I am appaled that some people are making comments about the punctuation and paragraphs in your post and turning this post into a joke when it is so serious. If they can't understand it (or don't want to understand it) then just read some other post and don't even comment. Stop making a mockery of the post because for the people that are living this, I assure you IT IS NO JOKE!!

I am a Greek Cypriot who moved to Cyprus 20 years ago. I have not been in the same situation regarding developers but I have had experience with Cypriot lawyers and it is disgraceful. I needed a lawyer for a maintenance agreement between me and my estranged husband. I went to a lady highly recommended, who in the end managed to get me the minimal amount because she kept saying that if we pushed the case we might loose even the minimal amount, and the Judge was known to side with the fathers in these cases!! And she never let me get a word in edgeways at our meetings. She always told me that I didn't understand what she was explaining. Let me tell you I understood exactly what she was saying but because I questioned her on everything she did, she just rambled and changed the direction of our conversationsl

She kept trying to persuade me to go ahead with a divorce and wanted me to sort out our properties and finances using her as my lawyer but my experience with her told me this would not be in my favour. All she wanted was to make more money from me.

So when I needed to sort out the house and custody of my youngest child, I found another lawyer who came highly recommended! Both me and my husband used the same lawyer because he could not afford to pay for another lawyer so we halved our expenses and everything was settled amicably. All the while the lawyer kept taking the piss and saying "you never know, you might get back together again" and laughing. But I let it slide and didn't take it seriously. However I did say that the reason we were there was to sort out our finances and not for him to make snide remarks about me and my husbands relationship.

After sorting this out, my husband stopped paying my eldest daughters maintenance because she had turned 18. So after she got accepted into uni I had to go to the lawyer again and see what I could do about maintenance for her. To my disgust the lawyer seemed to have sided with my husband telling me that even if we went to court the judge might take pity on him and deduct maintenance from the two youngest children in order to give it to my oldest daughter. However this was not the worst of it. He actually told me that I should consider finding a rich divorcee and marry him so that he could support my children. I was shocked to hear these words coming from someone who supposedly has been well educated and I am not ashamed to say as a 42 year old lady I expected some respect from a thirty something upstart lawyer and would never in my wildest dreams expect a professional to hand out this type of advice. I told him that I was not there to listen to him making stupid comments but was there asking for professional advice based on his experience. I couldn't get out of there quick enough!! Needless to say I left his office and never went back.

I am now waiting to see what grants my daughter will be given because these must be taken into consideration regaring her expenses and then I must find myself a new lawyer to make a new maintenance claim for my daughter - a task I am not looking forward to.

I have asked around and have tried to find out if there is some sort of establishement where a citizen can go to be advised on any professional liscencee's abilities or track records but I have had no luck. As a citizen you are expected to find the professionals you need by trial and error be they lawyers, doctors, dentists etc. and sometimes these errors come with a very hight cost to the client.

My point being that in Cyprus, no matter how hard the Cypriots make out that they have deveoped into a European country, compared to other countries, they are way behind in every aspect and I doubt they will ever catch up because of this "boys club" attitude they have.

And no matter how many years I live in this country I will never come to accept this, as my experiences have been vast whether it is looking for a job or going to the hospital for a routine check up. If you don't know the right people you have to struggle to be heard!!!

YES IT IS NO JOKE THESE PEOPLE WANT TO TRY LIVING IN THE NIGHTMARE ,THEN THEY MAY TRY AND UNDERSTAND,YOU UNDERSTAND BECAUSE YOU HAVE HAD EXPERIENCES WITH BAD LAWYERS THANKS FOR YOUR KINDNESS , JANET

[Gasman]

Basically estate agent, developer and lawyer were all working together.

Summed up perfectly. Add to that, the Banks don't seem to look too far into who they are lending money to. And the Land Registry could function better than it does. In one of the cases where the developer sold the same property twice, Larnaca land registry office 'made a mistake' and allow the submission of both sales agreements and issued property deeds for the same property twice.

Cyprus property law is 'based on UK property law'. That's what all the sellers tell UK buyers to put their minds at rest. They find out differently when the brown stuff hits the fan.

[Jack M]

Gasman, there is also the case where the Land Registry allowed a lawyer to withdraw a contract using a power of attorney and cancellation agreement in an entirely different name to that on the contract. That property has also been re-sold to someone else.

I believe that a police investigation is underway against the lawyer but who knows how long that will take.

[janet.smith653]

We appointed a lawyer and were later advised by the estate agent that we should get rid of him as he was trying to offer the estate agent a bribe of 5000cyp to hand us our deposit back and let him buy the land for himself. We believed him and the estate agent then said he could recommend a good lawyer that would act for us. Much later on, we found out that it was the same lawyer as the developer. Basically estate agent, developer and lawyer were all working together. We sadly were taken in by everything they told us and have paid a very high price. This is the SAME developer and lawyer as Janets and a VERY LARGE property company on the east of the island. Cant say anymore.

COULD YOU E.MAIL ME AND TELL US WHAT THEY DID TO YOU ,WHO WAS THE ESTATE AGENT ,HOW DOES THIS DEVELOPER TSANGARIS FROM AVGOURU AND HIS BENT LAWYER KARAS SLEEP AT NIGHT

[johbee]

.... Get a legimate lawyer and take this guy to court .....

shouldn't any lawyer practising be legitimate ? must be another 'cultural difference' eh ?

Okay probaby a bad word choice and maybe ethical would be better. I know a few slime ball lawyers and in my opinion many are on the wrong side of the law they are claiming to uphold. Many people have been ripped off and in fact I am currently trying to buy a house or property. It's a mine field! I would never buy from a developer and never without title deeds and am beginning to believe even the estate agents are crooks. I can't understand why someone would risk so much on a property without title deeds, but this was the accepted practice till the bubble started to burst. Very unusual to me.

[janet.smith653]

.... Get a legimate lawyer and take this guy to court .....

shouldn't any lawyer practising be legitimate ? must be another 'cultural difference' eh ?

Okay probaby a bad word choice and maybe ethical would be better. I know a few slime ball lawyers and in my opinion many are on the wrong side of the law they are claiming to uphold. Many people have been ripped off and in fact I am currently trying to buy a house or property. It's a mine field! I would never buy from a developer and never without title deeds and am beginning to believe even the estate agents are crooks. I can't understand why someone would risk so much on a property without title deeds, but this was the accepted practice till the bubble started to burst. Very unusual to me.

they are all in on it to rip to people off

[Jack M]

Janet

I have every sympathy with you and the problems you are facing. There are many in exactly the same situation, some worse and some better.

However, what do you hope to achieve by speaking to people on forums? Do you think they are in any position to help you?

Have you contacted people who may be able to help? Strength in numbers and all that. Have you contacted your MP/MEPs? Have you joined any pressure groups in the UK or Cyprus?

[Jack M]

Janet

Have you paid your 68 euros and complained about your lawyer to the Bar Association?

I would be the first to say that you shouldn't have to pay to complain particularly when it is to a body who are clearly not independant but until you do follow the proceedures in place you cannot complain from a position of strength.

[laptachap]

HOPE ALL TURNS OUT OK FOR YOU cyprots are the most 2 faced corrupt people on the face of the earh god help you coz the law in cyprus will not