News Archive: legal issues

15, 2010 March:

Marbella: the big clean up

In the 15 years since Jesús Gil was elected mayor and tore up the existing planning regulations (PGOU) until the corruption was uncovered in 2006, some 18,000 properties had been built illegally in Marbella.

05, 2010 March:

Cyprus: Estate agents law changed

The Interior Ministry of Cyprus has submitted a new draft law to Parliament which is designed to open the doors to European estate agents wishing to practice in Cyprus.

26, 2010 February:

Solicitors demand end to agent 'bribes'

More and more solicitors are speaking out against their colleagues who effectively ‘bribe' estate agent to give them conveyancing work by paying them referral fees...

24, 2010 February:

OFT Vs Foxtons: case continues

The OFT has secured a final High Court order against Foxtons Ltd preventing it from using certain terms concerning sales and commissions in its letting agreements with consumer landlords...

19, 2010 February:

Property fraud Brit extradited

A Thailand court has agreed to extradite a Briton to the UAE to face charges of embezzling $150m dollars from a property company in Dubai, despite having no formal extradition treaty with the Arab state...

18, 2010 February:

Property firm wins landmark case against buyer

In a legal battle very typical of the property market downturn, an Irish property company has emerged victorious after a buyer tried to retrieve the deposit he put down on a luxury apartment...

04, 2010 February:

Criminal gangs target landlords

Landlords' properties are being targeted by criminal gangs as a cover for illegal activity, according to the National Landlords Association (NLA), the leading representative body for private-residential landlords in the UK...

22, 2010 January:

Courts ‘must defend' householders

It is vital that the courts should uphold the right of householders to defend their families and homes to the fullest extent against criminals...

14, 2010 January:

Deposit scandal rages on in UK

The developing scandal of misappropriated tenants' deposits has exposed landlords to millions of pounds of liability...

12, 2010 January:

Landlords on course with deposit protection

The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) is confident that more landlords than ever are complying with tenancy deposit legislation, with over 200 new landlords registering every day...

07, 2010 January:

Landmark case against investor

In what has been described as a "landmark" ruling by newspaper The Mail, a judge has awarded damages of over £130,000 to a property developer after an unnamed buy-to-let investor pulled out of a deal to buy two flats in a Plymouth city centre new-build...

14, 2009 December:

Development deadlock? It's good to talk

A survey into problems with unviable planning permissions by leading law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner has highlighted an apparently elusive truth: that local authorities may be more willing to help developers overcome seemingly intractable viability problems than previously thought...

03, 2009 December:

Prince Charles' property battle

The Prince of Wales and the Mayor of London are named in a high court case launched by UK developers Nick and Christian Candy against Qatari Diar Real Estate company over the controversial Chelsea Barracks project...

30, 2009 November:

Nassau crime wave hits cruises

A series of armed attacks on cruise ship passengers in Nassau has raised fears about the safety of visitors to the Bahamas - several Europeans were among a group of 18 tourists held up by two men wielding shotguns during a guided tour of an eco-park close to Nassau last weekend. Their local guide was tied up and a woman hit in the face with the butt of a gun as the robbers took money, cameras, mobile phones and passports from the passengers...

Prince and Mayor named in court claim

The Prince of Wales and Mayor for London Boris Johnson have been named in a High Court claim by Christian Candy's CPC Group over the £1bn Chelsea Barracks site - in particulars of claim obtained by Property Week, CPC alleges that Qatari Diar, its former partner on the project, withdrew its planning application for the barracks as `the direct result of an intervention in the planning process by His Royal Highness Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales...'

27, 2009 November:

Life's (not) a beach in Florida

In a move that could affect millions of homeowners in Florida, oceanfront landowners are begging the Supreme Court to rule that beach replenishment projects restrict their access to the beach, thus lowering the value of their properties...

Foreigners ‘can own Iraq land'

A new investment law in Iraq will allow foreigners to own land for residential property projects and also streamline the regulation and application process - the once war torn country needs millions of new housing units in the next few years but also needs foreign investment to build them...

23, 2009 November:

Top agents deny breaking HIPs

Three top London agents - all well-known names with good reputations for ethical practice - have strongly denied breaking the law - the three were initially identified yesterday by the Association of Home Information Pack Providers as repeatedly listing properties without HIPs...

04, 2009 November:

New laws for Abu Dhabi investors

New laws to help make the real estate market in Abu Dhabi more transparent and safer for buyers are expected to be introduced in the early months of next year - officials at the Department of Municipal Affairs are currently drawing up the necessary draft documents that will cover escrow accounts, brokers, titles and mortgages...

25, 2009 October:

Cut red tape, Vietnam

There is so much red tape and formalities to comply with when developing property in Vietnam that both international and local property developers are becoming less and less keen to continue to invest and develop in the country - so now in a last ditch attempt to speed up projects, they are urging the Government to cut the administration needed and get the sector moving once more...

01, 2009 October:

One fine day

Britons caught speeding in Europe will soon be forced to pay their fine when they arrive back home in the UK if they fail to pay in the country the ticket was issued...

24, 2009 September:

Agent in trouble

The estate agents who labelled a house on Rightmove with the reference ‘lesbians' have been rapped by the disciplinary panel of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors...

17, 2009 September:

Landlords ignoring deposit laws

The number of landlords flouting tenancy deposit legislation has halved in the past year - but almost one in three is still not obeying the law, according to the Deposit Protection Service (DPS)...

16, 2009 September:

Drug mule forces landing

A Spanish airliner was forced to make an emergency landing in the Dominican Republic when a German passenger smuggling illegal drugs in his stomach took ill, officials said...

07, 2009 September:

Right to reply

Campaigners for pension rights for retired Britons living abroad are to have their day at the European Court of Human Rights...

26, 2009 August:

Arrested development

The Gulf states' tough stance on drugs, alcohol and indecency mean that more holidaymakers and expats are detained there than in more popular destinations such as France or Greece...

Rip-off merchants

Rogue property sourcing and investments companies are ripping off property investors in the UK by asking for upfront fees to source below market value real estate that turn out to be bogus, it is claimed...

24, 2009 August:

Splash for cash

A woman is suing a Chicago-area zoo for a 2008 fall near a dolphin exhibit, accusing zookeepers of encouraging the mammals to splash water and then failing to protect spectators from wet surfaces, local media reported last week...

21, 2009 August:

Backpackers sentenced

Two British backpackers convicted of insurance fraud in Rio de Janeiro during a round-the-world trip may be forced to stay in Brazil for months to perform community service...

20, 2009 August:

Rewarding dishonesty

Tenants who trashed an apartment and then abandoned it owing three months of rent, have won their case against their landlord, even though the court accepted their actions were wrong...

Pot it

Another landlord has been left with a hefty repair bill after police discovered his tenants were using his Scunthorpe property as a cannabis factory...

19, 2009 August:

Feeling fine in Florence

A Polish tourist must pay a 160-euro fine after he got a bit too close to one of the fountains in the Italian city of Florence, police said Monday...

Business bomb hoax

A businessman running behind schedule triggered a bomb scare on an plane in a desperate attempt to catch his flight, Indian police said today...

11, 2009 August:

Regulatory body for India

Alongside an improved forecast for the future of the Indian property market, there are further problems anticipated as sales start to grow outside the framework of a regulatory body - so the property industry is calling for an efficient and focused national regulatory body to make the sector more transparent and to make it easier to solve problems and deal with complaints...

06, 2009 August:

New rental laws?

Forced landlords already grappling with legislation surrounding the rental market may find themselves hit with extra costs and work, if Government proposals come into force...

04, 2009 August:

New law for Nica

A new law banning property construction and land development within 50 metres of Nicaragua's coastline has been passed by the Government, ending years of speculation - and it is expected to entice hoards of relieved local and foreign investors and developers to the country, all of whom were concerned the law could extend to 800 metres away from the shoreline...

CSI: Cancun sand investigation

Cancun in Mexico is best known for attracting the Spring Break crowd - those huge groups of American students desperate for some tequila shots and age-18 partying - so imagine the horror of the tourists who headed down to their hotel beach to find a crime scene awaiting them in this holiday hotspot - it seems one beach has gone a little bit too far in its pursuit of perfection and stolen sand to improve the beach...

Beware illegal rent-backs

Shelter has warned home owners considering sale-and-rent-back to ensure the company is regulated before committing to the sale...

03, 2009 August:

Bail for Brits

Two 23-year-old British women accused of lying about a robbery in a travel insurance scam have been freed on bail from a Brazilian jail, legal officials in Rio de Janeiro said on Saturday...

30, 2009 July:

The beat goes on in Newquay

Newquay's pub and club owners could be made to pay for additional policing in the town in what residents have described as a "victory for people power", after a public protest against the town's alcohol-fuelled hedonism...

22, 2009 July:

Dubai: licences revoked

Dubai property companies that have not conformed to new rules by registering with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) are starting to have their licenses suspended, following several previous warnings...

17, 2009 July:

Suing over a hula

Two groups of property investors are demanding their money back from the developers of the upscale Trump International Hotel & Tower in Waikiki, Hawaii over claims that the property tycoon was directly tied to the project...

16, 2009 July:

Cleaning up that act

Anything that means estate agents will be better regulated can't be a bad thing in my eyes - as I'm still smarting over my recent unpleasant experience with one - so news that all agents in the UK must register with a new anti-money laundering system is being welcomed by many...

Passport plans shelved

Plans to force passengers travelling from Ireland and the Channel Islands to carry a passport for travel to mainland Britain were quietly shelved last night...

What on earth?

The Guardia di Finanza (Finance Police) of Italy used Google Earth, amongst other tools, to collect evidence with regards to a tax evasion totaling £5.9 million euros...

14, 2009 July:

Let me complain

Complaints made to The Property Ombudsman related to lettings now outstrip those made against estate agents...

Landmark sale, rent back ruling

A couple who entered into a sale-and-rent back agreement have won a landmark ruling in Birmingham County Court...

13, 2009 July:

Dubai taking action

The Real Estate Regulatory Agency in Dubai is starting to suspend the licences of property brokers who fail to register...

08, 2009 July:

Buy-to-let scammers face jail

A high-flying couple were facing jail last night after being found guilty of an elaborate £200,000 buy-to-let scam...