News Archive: legal issues

Page 1 of 25 - Results per page: 50

26, 2012 January:

New Turkish overseas buyer law will "open the market" says Spot Blue

Turkey’s move to make it easier for foreign nationals to purchase land and real estate will “open up the market” according to a leading agency.

25, 2012 January:

Mercer calls for calm after change in law on Spanish ID numbers

Spanish overseas property agent Chris Mercer has reacted to angry protests over the way in which the Spanish government has introduced new rules on how home buyers from abroad obtain their foreign ID Numbers.

20, 2012 January:

Woman jailed for messy yard gets helping hands

Linda Ruggles grinned as she strolled across her cluttered yard Thursday, enjoying freedom after six days in jail and rejoicing at the persistent growl of a mower and weed eater gnashing at her lawn.

17, 2012 January:

Agents set for new developer-helping Abu Dhabi law

Overseas property agents in Abu Dhabi are getting ready for the introduction of a new real estate law designed to support developers working in investment zones such as Saadiyat Island, Reem Island and Al Raha Beach.

10, 2012 January:

Oz timeshare operators facing commission crisis

Australian timeshare operators are facing new laws that could wipe out commissions … leaving them to face an “immediate and devastating” threat, they say.

20, 2011 December:

Christmas comes early as couple win back investment

Christmas came early for Mr. and Mrs Woodcock this year, as they succeeded in recovering their money from an ill-fated Spanish development. The couple invested in a Murcia golf club, which was left unfinished after the economic downturn, placing their funds under serious threat. Following months of legal battles, they finally won back their investment this month.

19, 2011 December:

Mortgage Fraud: California, New York Rank Highest, Report Says

Mortgage fraud activity slowed overall in the third quarter, but California ranks first in home loan fraud, with the state seeing as much as $204.2 million in losses on deceptive mortgage activity.

13, 2011 December:

Squatters seize $8m in homes

Squatters seized over $8m worth of property in Texas this year. One claimed a house left by his dead neighbour. Another took over a $2.7m mansion, prompting authorities to ask the attorney general to intervene. Using legal loopholes, squatters are seizing more opportunities to "liberate" empty homes as a form of protest, social outreach or even buy-to-let investment.

06, 2011 December:

MEP launches booklet to protect overseas buyers' rights

British MEP (Member of the European Parliament) Diana Wallace has published a booklet called “European Property Rights and Wrongs” this week in an effort to protect the rights of overseas property buyers.

28, 2011 November:

UK housing stock in dangerous disrepair

More than a fifth of UK properties contain a major hazard which could require immediate repair.

25, 2011 November:

Footballing ‘King’ to stand trial over property scam

A former Premier League player is charged with cashing cheques from victims of a criminal building scam in which shoddy and overpaid work was done on people’s homes, a court has heard.

23, 2011 November:

Ashby Highrise developers copied site plan we made for them, says attorney for Dallas architecture firm

A Houston attorney says the site plan for the Ashby Highrise “substantially” copies the one a Dallas-based architecture firm created for the same developers 5 years ago.

15, 2011 November:

Cape Verde investment recovered after construction falls behind

Last week saw the successful resolution by Judicare of a problematic overseas investment and the return of the client’s deposit plus interest of over €40,000.

10, 2011 November:

New property bill in India to be made public next week

Details of a new bill to protect property buyers in India from unscrupulous developers are expected to be made available next week.

Draft law abolishes Cyprus' "Property Transfer Fees"

In an attempt to stimulate the Cypriot property market, the island’s MPs unanimously voted in the House of Representatives this week to abolish or reduce its official “Property Transfer Fees” for a period of six months.

31, 2011 October:

Government measures could hurt Spanish legal system confidence

Spain could be exacerbating its property market’s problems by making Land Registry information available in English, according to an overseas property lawyer.

28, 2011 October:

Householders are given greater rights to fight back against burglars

Householders are to be given new rights of self-defence to confront burglars without the risk of being prosecuted under measures unveiled by Kenneth Clarke, the Justice Secretary.

Expats in Russia don’t earn more but get substantial relocation packages

The myth that expats in Russia earn more than native professionals is not true, according to a new survey. By expats win in terms of the relocation packages they often receive when moving.

Video: US bank mortgage fraud crackdown

With $1 billion stolen in a month, the FBI says that bank mortgage fraud is now as important as terrorism. Two investment bankers at Bear Sterns have recently been charged with fraud. But are there any more to come?

12, 2011 October:

UK govt to change migrant test

History questions are to be added to the multiple choice test that people wishing to live permanently in the UK need to answer.

11, 2011 October:

Streamlined student visa process in the US

A new initiative to streamline the international student visa process for foreign students studying in the United States has been announced.

06, 2011 October:

True plight of squatters exposed by research

Squatters have been revealed as some of the most vulnerable of all homeless people by research published as the Government consultation into criminalisation of squatting comes to an end.

03, 2011 October:

UK pressure group set up to help Spanish property victims

While there are similar groups already in existence in Spain, this group is the first of its kind in the UK and aims to raise awareness and pressure the UK Government and MEPs into taking action.

28, 2011 September:

Barcelona stages final bullfight before regional ban

Three top matadors slayed six half-tonne bulls Sunday in the last bullfight held in Catalonia before a ban on the centuries-old tradition comes into effect in the northeastern Spanish region.

Video: Dale Farm reprieve "very fair"

At the High Court, residents of Dale Farm and Basildon Council Leader Tony Ball react to a judge’s decision on the ongoing dispute over the Essex site.

21, 2011 September:

Three die after family property dispute in Bulgarian town

Three people died after a 73-year-old man opened fire during a dispute over family property in the northern Bulgarian town of Yablanitsa, the Interior Ministry said on September 20 2011.

19, 2011 September:

Dale Farm prepares for its final battle

Residents await bailiffs as Basildon council starts eviction after Travellers' 10-year struggle to stay on Essex site.

14, 2011 September:

Expat equity release victims take on banks

Expats who bought into unsuccessful equity release schemes and now face losing their Spanish properties have set up an action group to fight the Nordic banks behind the schemes.

07, 2011 September:

EU grants fewer residence permits, new data reveals

Fewer people from outside the European Union are being granted permission to live in member countries and those who do are moving mostly for family reasons, for work and for education, new figures reveal.

06, 2011 September:

Dale Farm Travellers get eviction date

Basildon council says it plans to evict Travellers on 19 September and urges them to make homelessness applications.

02, 2011 September:

US 'to sue big banks over mortgages'

The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees US mortgage markets, is set to file a suit against more than a dozen big banks, accusing them of misrepresenting mortgages.

FEIFA announces new overseas property services for members

FEIFA (the Federation of European IFAs) has announced a new partnership that will provide legal services for members experiencing overseas property disputes.

31, 2011 August:

Vanessa Redgrave throws support behind illegal travellers

Vanessa Redgrave threw her support behind the residents of Britain's largest illegal travellers' site yesterday - sparking calls for the left-wing actress to welcome the campers onto her own property if she was concerned by their plight.

17, 2011 August:

Council serves first riot-related eviction notice

Wandsworth council in south London has initiated eviction proceedings against a woman whose son appeared in court charged in connection with rioting and looting at Clapham Junction.

12, 2011 August:

British grandmother 'will not be deported from Australia'

Gladys Jefferson moved to Tasmania on a tourist visa from the Isle of Wight to be with her daughter, Bridget Grigg, after her memory began to fail 12 months ago.

We'll evict looters from council houses, says council chief

Council house tenants convicted of looting or violent disorder face eviction, Birmingham city’s Tory housing chief has warned.

02, 2011 August:

Expats secure Halifax shares payout settlement

An agreed settlement of a class action heard in New Jersey means 12,000 expats who were residing in the US at the time of the flotation, will share an estimated US$8.6 million, about $720 each, in lieu of the shares.

26, 2011 July:

Brit expats to benefit from new tax reforms

New UK treasury reforms could see retirees who live and own property abroad able to spend up to a third of their time back home each year without paying any tax.

22, 2011 July:

Man uses US law to claim ownership of $300k home for just $16

'Adverse possession' gives people who have moved into abandoned home rights to negotiate with owners to stay there

11, 2011 July:

Protests in Spain over evictions

There have been protests taking place all over Spain against evictions being carried out because homeowners have fallen behind on mortgage payments.

04, 2011 July:

UK councils 'turning blind eye' to slum landlords

Eighty per cent of UK environmental health officers have come across landlords in their area who persistently refuse to maintain their properties to a decent standard, according to a new documentary on Channel 4.

30, 2011 June:

New EU scheme to ensure property buyers' safety

A pilot scheme currently being trialled in the Netherlands and Spain will see buyers able to apply their own country's laws to property purchases abroad, ensuring their legal safety in the event of developer fraud.

27, 2011 June:

Cypriot diplomats to meet UN experts on property issue

Permanent Secretary of the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Nicos Emiliou and member of the Cyprus negotiating team, Toumazos Tselepis, will arrive in New York Tuesday for talks with the team of experts appointed by the UN to help the two sides in the peace talks on the property issue.

20, 2011 June:

Why it's important to get a good Turkish property lawyer

Turkey offers some excellent property investment opportunities and is one of the most popular overseas locations for Brits to buy houses. However, the buying process in Turkey is different from other countries and so it’s important that you understand how to buy property.

15, 2011 June:

Residents scheme sees foreign interest in Cyprus shooting up

A few bad stories in the press might have seen Brits cool their interest in Cypriot property, but business is still booming on the island nation due to an influx of Russian and Asian buyers, reports Overseas Property Professional.

09, 2011 June:

Homeowners foreclose on Bank of America

In a role reversal that would bring satisfaction to many a struggling American, a foreclosed couple foreclosed on a Bank of America branch last week.

08, 2011 June:

Want to own a marijuana franchise?

Marijuana is becoming big business as more states pass medical marijuana laws, making way for a new niche industry for growers and users of cannabis.

07, 2011 June:

Egypt to lift curfew on June 15

Egypt will on June 15 completely lift a curfew which was slapped on Cairo and two major cities in late January at the height of a popular revolt against former president Hosni Mubarak.

02, 2011 June:

Legal reforms lead investors back to Egypt

The announcement of a planned law to protect investors in the troubled developments associated with the Mubarak regime has bolstered global confidence in Egypt's recovering property market.