Q: I bought an off-plan property & paid 100 % amount, also paid 4 % Oqood by June 2011. Now, I learnt through DLD that the property is cancelled as the builder could complete half construction & now it shall go for liquidation. I am stressed whether I will get the full invested amount after liquidation or just minimal. What do the laws say?

Q: 5 years back, I paid a real estate broker an amount of AED 797,420 in cash towards booking amount for 3 units in an under construction building in Dubai Marina. He has cheated me by giving me bogus stamped registration forms from the developer and has never paid the money to them. The developer has no record of me in their system. I have tried to speak numerous times with the broker but he insists that the documents are all true and the money has been paid to the escrow account, but the developer has verbally confirmed otherwise. Since the forms are all bogus, the developer is refusing to communicate with me officially. I need legal assistance to get information from the developer as they are the only ones who can prove that these forms are bogus. Do let me know future course of action and fees applicable as well. Best Regards,

Q: I have purchased a property in Dubai in Dec 2017 by putting a 30% deposit of the purchase price to the Developers account and received the reservation form and receipts only. However, I still do not have the SPA or OQOOD as of Aug 2018. The developer has been saying the SPA templates have been getting delayed at DLD. Per the reservation form, I have an upcoming payment in Sep 2018, however, I do not want to pay this as I still don't have the SPA or Oqood which is my legal document and there is no escrow account per DLD website. What is my legal position here and how can I get this resolved or can I get refunded given there is no contract as yet? Please guide

Q: Hi, I have booked a studio with a developer. I have paid around 195000 AED. It was mentioned in their marketing details and pre-development that the project will be ready by MAY 2019. The project is still not completed, and only 50% has been done as per DLD. The developer has always been asking for money, but how can we trust them when progress has been slow! Today, I received a letter from DLD on cancellation. Now how can I proceed to object and get the paid amount? I was reading somewhere that if a project is below 60% progress, we can get a refund? Please guide! Thanks

Q: Hi, What action do I take if a developer has accepted cheques from me (towards my 30% off-plan payment plan) that were made payable to the company (and not payable to the specific escrow account for the developer's project I am buying from)? Is this illegal and voids my SPA contract with the developer? Thanks for your advice.

Q: There was an MOU which was entered between the buyer (we) and seller on 17 February 2020. Due to less valuation by the bank, the contract was revised and the initial agreement was cancelled. The new agreement was made on 11 March 2020 and it was again cancelled due to error by the agent in the agreement as he had written a wrong size of the apartment. So the third contract was made but it was not signed due to the global pandemic situation and the selling price mentioned was higher than the agreed price and it was also signed by the seller. There was no contract thereafter as all the initial contracts were cancelled and as we have given escrow cheque to the agent, they are asking for hefty fees to be paid and then they will release the escrow cheque. So can you please advise in the given case?

Q: قام مكتب تمثيل لشركة أجنبية ببيع عقار خارج الدولة وقام المكتب بإبرام استمارة الحجز واستلم شيك بنكي مني. تقدمت بإلغاء الحجز اليوم التالي فرفض المكتب إعادة المبلغ المدفوع. مع العلم بأن المكتب غير مُسجَّل لدى دائرة الأراضي والأملاك ونشاطه بالرخصة مكتب تمثيلي. كيف أتمكن من استرجاع المبلغ المدفوع؟

Q: I paid an AED 8190 booking fee in February, but the agent then failed to provide the apartment or even a contract which was to be signed on the 15th of March. As per our agreement, I requested a refund. We had a back-and-forth, and then they gave me a cheque for the amount to be cashed on the 28th of March. On the 27th, they messaged me to say not to cash the cheque. I feel I am being scammed. What do I do?

The provisions of this law, promulgating UAE Civil Code, govern the civil transactions in the United Arab Emirates. The commercial transactions remain subject to the laws and regulations applicable in their regard.

This Law establishes interim property register in which sale contracts, off-plan sales, and other off-plan legal dispositions of real property are registered prior to inclusion in the property register maintained by Dubai Land Department.

The provisions of this Law supersede articles (2) and (11) of Law No. (13) of 2008 Regulating the Interim Property Register in the Emirate of Dubai.

This Resolution approves the Implementing Bylaw of Law No. (13) of 2008 Regulating the Interim Property Register in the Emirate of Dubai.