News Archive: legal issues

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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...

06, 2009 July:

Spanish homes legalised

Around 40,000 illegally built properties in Spain will be legalised by the local authorities in Malaga, in conjunction with Marbella and Mijas Town Halls, which will avoid further embarrassment for the region, following the destruction of a number of illegal homes...

03, 2009 July:

A-listers lose garden

Hollywood couple Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffiths are to have part of their garden confiscated from their £5 million home by Spanish authorities...

26, 2009 June:

Watch those scams

The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) is alerting tenants to a new scam involving property advertised for rent over the Internet...

25, 2009 June:

Beware when buying in Israel

Don't be blinded by the offer of cheap property in Israel - it may be a bargain in a financial sense but it is likely to be a real headache in other ways - as it is revealed that many of the properties being sold at auction actually belong to Palestinian refugees - making it illegal to sell them under Israeli law...

24, 2009 June:

Selling and expelling

Two estate agents expelled by The Property Ombudsman Service at the end of May have now agreed to pay the awards made against them...

Young, ID and single

The second biggest target group for ID fraudsters are young, single people and home sharers working in service industries and living in flats rented predominantly from the council or housing associations...

23, 2009 June:

Rebellion on water

Some 72 gondoliers who blocked Venice's Grand Canal in a series of protests between 2003 and 2005 are facing a total of 173 years in jail...

22, 2009 June:

Amnesty for Spain?

Real estate investors in Spain whose properties have been affected by the crackdown on illegal planning are hopeful that an amnesty is on the horizon...

19, 2009 June:

Guide to receiving client monies

The Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP) has produced a guide to help and advise both agents and developers through the process of receiving client monies, but they suggest that agents do not receive client monies to pass onto a third party unless absolutely necessary...

Cyprus title deeds: follow up

Following our story on Tuesday regarding Cyprus title deeds, Nigel Howarth, Editor of Cyprus Property News Magazine, has provided TheMoveChannel.com with further information for any individuals who have been affected...

18, 2009 June:

Weeding them out

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is cracking down on estate agencies and individual agents who have broken the rules - naming and shaming them in an online public register for the first time - allowing consumers to see first hand which ones to steer clear of...

16, 2009 June:

New rules for Cyprus title deeds

Investors concerned about the notorious Cyprus property title deeds issue will be interested to hear that new legislation is in the pipeline in a bid to clear up years of problems - however, before you pop the champagne corks - the new rules will only apply to new purchases, meaning that vast numbers of owners will still be without legal documentation...

Beware of fraudsters

Identity fraudsters are targeting lower income consumers living in rented accommodation, a report from CreditExpert has warned...