Q: I signed an MOU for purchasing a property from the seller. It has now been close to two months, with no progress. The tenant at the seller's property is not allowing time for valuation purposes. And now the seller is saying it's not his problem and is not willing to pay the 10% agreed as per the MOU. There's a specific clause in the MOU as below: "In the event that the 'seller' fails to complete the transfer on the agreed date due to his own act or omissions, then the full deposit will be refunded to the buyer, and also the 'seller' agrees to pay the same deposit amount to the buyer as a compensation for the loss of the said property unless they agreed amicably to different terms or dates."

Q: I had invested in a project in Dubai in Oct 2018, in a 3 bedroom townhouse. I have paid them 24% of the house amount till now but haven't received anything except for SPA and receipts from them. No registration of the property has also been done wherein we were supposed to get the house in Dec 2019 the handover. On checking, we got to know that they haven't even got permission from the land department for that particular row of townhouses in which we had booked our unit, and no construction has also happened till now. They offered us another unit instead to take which they claim will get finished in Dec 2020. But because they have been lying to us since the beginning and have taken money from us without any permission being in place, we want to exit from the agreement and get our money refunded. Wanted to know what are we eligible to get money in this case? Seeking the correct advice. Please help.

Q: I purchased an off-plan apartment from a developer with payments plan 20/80. I have paid 20% so far plus 4% DLD. The developer has not given me my land registration yet. According to my SPA, the property handover is supposed to be in Q1 2020. I received a notice that the new completion date is now Q1 2021 but is doubtful. Project completion date is 46% as per the Dubai Land Department website. My question is, what action can I take to cancel my SPA and get a refund? Thanks

Q: A property seller intends to settle their property mortgage with their bank before selling the property to me. In other words, the seller said they wanted to go to their bank, wire the outstanding balance to their bank, and wait for the mortgage settlement confirmation letter by the bank. How long does this process usually take in the UAE? Are there any delays by the banks?

Q: I have a jointly owned property in Abu Dhabi. The mortgage was defaulted on as I had to leave the property with my children following an assault by my ex-husband. He left the country in 2018 and never paid the mortgage. As I was in the country, the bank filed a criminal case against me, and I was sentenced to 3 years. I won the appeal against the bank and then filed another criminal case a few months later in Dubai. Again, I won and paid a fine. In 2019, the bank started a civil case against me and my ex-husband to have the property repossessed. However, at the time of the purchase of the property, there were no Title Deeds, the bank requires this. I cannot give them the Title Deeds to sell the property and pay back the amount owed to them as my ex-husband refuses to provide a POA. The bank has filed another criminal case against me only for our jointly owned property. I wish to resolve this and pay off the bank and receive any money left from the sale. How can I resolve this issue of the Title Deeds?

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.