Dear Lawyers, I signed a Form F with a buyer for the sale of my house as we were planning to leave the country. The contract was signed about a month ago, but the handover is not until August. Due to personal circumstances changing, we are no longer leaving Dubai and would like to cancel Form F. The Form F contract stipulates that we have to pay the buyer 10% of the purchase value. The real estate agent is now claiming that we also have to pay the buyer's real estate commission and the conveyancing fee. Our understanding is that the 10% penalty is the only penalty. Which is correct, and what are the next steps to dispute this? Also, is there any way to dispute the 10% itself under the law due to personal circumstances changing?

I got an offer letter from Al-Haldin Gulf Construction & Petroleum LLC. Can you please advise about the company?

Hello, I have a tenant who is always late with their payment. Their renewal was supposed to be last December 2023. Currently, they have not signed any new contract, provided any new cheques, and have stayed for three months from December until now without paying rent. Additionally, I just discovered that they have sublet the apartment with partitions, which is clearly stated as not allowed in the old contract. Please let me know what should I do legally!

Dear Concern, How long will it take to receive the cancellation paper from my previous employer? My last working day at my current company will be on April 7, 2024.

Hi, We sent a renewal notice to our Dubai-based tenant 84 days before his contract renewal, with a 10% increase in rent. The tenant neither agreed nor disagreed with the proposed rent and replied on the day of renewal that he wouldn't be paying the proposed rent. Due to the argument, the landlord decided to reduce the rent, but the tenant has not yet renewed his contract. It has been 12 days since his contract expired. Kindly suggest what could be done in this matter.

Dear Sir/Madam, Does the existing tenancy contract between the tenant and the previous owner remain in force even after the new landlord has purchased the property in the middle of an ongoing lease? And when should a new tenancy contract be made? Should it be made immediately after the property has been sold, or at the end of the ongoing tenancy contract signed between the previous owner of the property and the tenant? Also, does a new contract have to be in place for the tenant to exchange the cheques, or does the existing tenancy contract with the previous owner remain valid for the purpose of exchanging the cheques?

Dear Sir/Madam, I was wrongfully terminated by my school under Article 44 on March 20th, 2023. I have a case in the labor courts, and the first hearing is on April 4th, 2023. However, my employer is asking me to vacate the school accommodation. I asked the Ministry of Labor and the courts, and they informed me that the school cannot evict me until the case is resolved. Is this information correct? I am currently unemployed and have nowhere else to go until I find another job.

Hi, May you and your family be blessed. I'm extremely tense and need your kind feedback on the following issue. If I have a travel ban in KSA, can I travel to the UAE on a work visa? I have been visiting Dubai on a tourist visa without any problems. The ban was imposed because I had to leave KSA suddenly and could not return after an exit-entry, and I was unable to pay back my car EMI and credit card payment totaling 30k SAR, which I intend to pay off gradually now. When I left KSA, they only had my fingerprints at the time. I also understand that while coming for a visit to Dubai, only a retinal scan is done. On the other hand, when obtaining a work visa, UAE takes and registers fingerprints as well. Could this lead to any issues for me? I have finally obtained a better-paying job after a long time and can finally save up to pay off my debts. The case registered for which the travel ban is imposed is only for SAR 16000. As of now, I cannot afford to hire a lawyer to check in UAE. Thank you for your help!

Dear Sir/Madam, My landlord wants to evict me from the property where I reside. They have not provided a court order for eviction within the past 12 months. Additionally, they are requesting a 40% increase in rent and are insisting on a 6-month fixed-term renewal, despite the RERA index indicating no such increase. Furthermore, they have included an unreasonable clause that prohibits pets, even though I have lived on the property with a pet for over three years.  What options do I have if I do not agree to these demands?

Dear Respected, I have a travel ban on me and a case raised in Dubai Courts against the company. The reason is the company owner asked me to sign a cheque to a service provider and the cheque bounced. I'm not a shareholder in the license. I'm not a partner in the license or elsewhere. I'm not a manager in the license or elsewhere. I only hold a POA from the owner to assist him in opening a bank account while he was abroad and be the authorized signatory in the bank. What should I do in this case? Thank you respected.

Can I travel with a non-paid telecom bill in the UAE if my visa is canceled?

Hi, I'm a new landlord of the property which is already rented. Kindly advise, do we have to sign a new tenancy contract with the tenant for the remaining period? And who will pay the cost of Ejari?

Hello, Good afternoon! My friend works as a cleaner for a cleaning company and she now wants to resign with a 30-day notice. However, she has not completed the two-year contract and has only served for 16 months. Additionally, she has not taken any vacation leave. The sad part is that when she signed the offer letter, she did not receive a copy of it and only signed it. I would be very grateful if you could let me know if she would have to pay or if her boss has the right to not accept the resignation if the notice period mentioned in the offer letter is more than a month. Her boss has not provided her with any kind of proof that she can use in the future if anything happens.

السلام عليكم، نحن شركة ذات مسؤولية محدودة ولدينا كفيل إماراتي صوري، ولكن بالرخصة التجارية هو شريك. هذا الكفيل صاحب أخلاق عالية ولا خوف منه ويعرف نفسه بأنه ليس بشريك فعلي. السؤال: إذا، لا سمح الله، توفي فقد نخوض مشاكل قانونية مع عائلته، فما الحل القانوني الذي يمكن أن ننجزه معه الآن ضمانًا لحقوقنا مستقبلاً؟

السلام عليكم، هل يحق للبنك في إمارة دبي أن يرفع دعوى جنائية أو مدنية ضد عميل لم يسدد مبالغ الفائدة بل سدد فقط المبالغ التي قدمها البنك أصليًا (مبلغ القرض فقط)؟ منحه البنك بطاقة ائتمانية بحجة أنه "قرض حسن بدون فوائد"، وبعدما استخدم العميل البطاقة الائتمانية بفترة زمنية قصيرة وفجأةً تم إرسال رسالة إلى العميل تفيد بأن هناك مبالغ متراكمة بسبب الفائدة البنكية بقيمة ٤٠٪؜ من القرض الأساس المُقدم إليه. علمًا بأنه تم تزويد العميل بالبطاقة الائتمانية عن طريق البريد السريع لعنوان منزله بدون طلب رسمي من العميل بذلك، بالإضافة إلى أنه لا يوجد أي من المستندات التالية بين البنك والعميل: ١- عقد. ٢- اتفاقية. ٣- شيكات كضمان. ٤- سند أو شريعة أو قبول خطي أو غير خطي أو توثيق يتضمن أي توقيع من الأطراف؛ بمعنى آخر، لا يوجد أي اتفاق على الإطلاق. العميل سدد المبالغ التي استخدمها ورفض دفع مبالغ الفائدة البنكية المضافة سالفة الذكر. الرجاء الإفادة ولكم جزيل الشكر!

السلام عليكم أنا وزوجي أردنيين مقيمين في الإمارات. قدمت لطلاق الضرر وحضرنا جلستين مع التوجيه الأسري ولم تتنتهِ القضية. هل يستطيع زوجي نقل القضية لإكمالها في الأردن مع رفضي؟ أريد إكمالها في الإمارات. وشكراً

السلام عليكم، أنا مواطنة وتزوجت من مصري في مصر وتم إثبات الزواج في مصر بختم الخارجية الإماراتية وختم السفارة المصرية في مصر وختم الخارجية المصرية. لدي ٣ أطفال وتقدمت بإثبات الزواج في الشارقة وتم الرفض. كيف أثبت الزواج في الإمارات؟

Hi, I am working as an Engineer in a free zone company in Studio City, Dubai, since 2019 till date. My visa is issued in Abu Dhabi. From March 2020, they cut down my salary & issued a letter stating that my salary has been cut down from April-20 to Aug-20 by 25%. But even after August 20, they did not only pay me my initial salary but my salary was cut down a lot more and irregular. The total pending is about AED 95,000+ to be received to date. Also, the company did not pay for insurance renewal and I was forced to take my own medical insurance for myself & to sponsor my wife's visa & insurance. I have decided to resign and cancel my visa immediately due to a new job offer. Is it better to raise the case while on their visa or after changing their visa? Within how many days should I raise a case after changing my visa and cancelling my work permit? Kindly provide your opinion on how to proceed. What are the chances that I get my pending salaries in full and gratuity?

السلام عليكم، في حال تقدمت للخلع بسبب الإيذاء النفسي والهجر داخل المنزل واستمرار الصراع، هل أحصل على حضانة الأطفال؟ وما الذي أحصل عليه فيما يتعلق بمصاريف الأطفال؟ علمًا بأن لدي أربعة أطفال. وكم يستغرق حكم الخلع؟

Is it legal that my employer terminates me after resigning? While I have a signed copy of my resignation from HR and my direct manager dated almost 20 days prior to the termination letter disclosing that I breached the contract according to Article 120.

Hi, I wanted to purchase a 2-bedroom apartment in JVC Dubai. I gave a 10% security deposit cheque to the seller. The price mentioned in the MoU is very high compared to other similar apartments in the same building. The bank’s valuation also came in very low. Since the valuation is much lower, how can I terminate the MoU and get my cheque back? The MoU ends on 1st October 2024. One of the articles in the MoU states: In the event that the Buyer fails to make the payments as agreed or fails to complete the transfer on the agreed date due to his own acts or omissions, the Seller has the right to terminate this agreement and retain the deposit, provided that the termination is due to a violation of the agreed terms, unless both parties agree amicably to different dates. I need help urgently.

Dear Sir/Madam, There is an employee who has been absent repeatedly. However, the company is not paying salaries on time, with regular delays in salary payments. Can the company terminate the employee without end-of-service or notice period compensation if the employee cites occasional salary delays as the reason for their absences?

If staff did not come back from vacation, after how long can we terminate him/her?

I was married in Abu Dhabi last year at the family court, is my marriage certificate valid in the US?

Regarding the probation period, when is the deadline for an employer to terminate me if the DOJ anniversary is Friday 2nd Feb? Will the six-month period end at midnight on the 1st, therefore completing six months, or can the employer still terminate on the 2nd? Appreciate any guidance provided.