Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
5 available 5 • View allTerminating an off-plan property agreement due to the delaying of SPA or Oqood issuance
2
Q: Hello,
I have purchased an off-plan apartment in Dubai last year. I paid the deposit, Oqood registration fees, and have been paying all installments on schedule toward’s the developer's Escrow Account.
However, the developer is delaying issuing SPA or Oqood till now with no valid reason. Even though, they had me sign the SPA from my side on the promise that they’ll sign it after me and attest it from DLD.
It’s been more than a year now, I’ve been asking for either SPA & Oqood or a refund of my money, yet the developer simply replies with “it’s under process”.
I would prefer now to just terminate the agreement and get a full refund of my payments. Is this possible?
Appreciate your advice.
Thanks!

Oct 12, 2020
1278
Can the developer withhold the SPA until the payment of DLD fees?
0
Q: When buying an off-plan property from a developer, does the SPA have to be reviewed, agreed and signed by both the buyer and the developer representative before paying the DLD + Oqood?
Is there a local estate law or clause requesting DLD + Oqood should be paid before the SPA is released from the developer to the buyer?
I am seeking this advice because the developer is asking for DLD + Oqood to be paid before the SPA is released despite having paid the initial deposit of 5% as per the Sales Offer schedule.
Thank you.

Nov 20, 2018
1651
Forcing the developer to issue the contracts of a purchased property
1
Q: Hello,
I have purchased a property in Dubai in May 2019 by putting a 25% deposit of the purchase price to the developer's escrow account and received the reservation form and payment receipts only.
However, I still do not have the SPA or OQOOD till now. The developer has been saying the SPA templates have been getting delayed.
As per the reservation form, I have an upcoming payment in Nov 2019. How I can validate that I have a legal reservation for the apartment and there is nothing to worry about?
What is my legal position here as I don't have any legal papers except the reservation contract which is only stamped from the developer but no OQOOD reference code/id/number or stamp on it?
Thank you

Aug 26, 2019
737
Is the buyer obliged to buy an off-plan property upon sign the booking form?
0
Q: Hello,
We wanted to buy an off-plan property. Unfortunately, the CEO of the developer ran away for financial reasons and RERA took over.
We only signed the booking form but none of our money has been taken. The SPA was also never signed.
Can we just move on and look at other properties or can RERA ask us to pay the amounts if they decide to choose another developer to finish the project?
Thank you for your help.

Oct 26, 2021
354
The risk of buying a property almost ready for handover without signing SPA
1
Q: I want to buy an off-plan property but I do NOT want to sign their SPA. The property is almost ready and due for handover in 2-3 months.
The developer is implying that if I pay the full price 100% with no payment plan, it may be possible to bypass signing the SPA, as the property would be paid for 100%.
I don't want to sign the SPA because of a clause inside it which I disagree with on a religious level.
Thank you.

Nov 14, 2021
390
Laws & Regulations
2 available 2 • View allLaw No. (13) of 2008 Regulating the Interim Property Register in the Emirate of Dubai 1
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.
Aug 14, 2008
4821
Executive Council Resolution No. (6) of 2010 Approving the Implementing Bylaw of Law No. (13) of 2008 Regulating the Interim Property Register in the Emirate of Dubai 3
This Resolution approves the Implementing Bylaw of Law No. (13) of 2008 Regulating the Interim Property Register in the Emirate of Dubai.
Feb 14, 2010
5120

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240 240 answers •
View allHow to change the lease contract for an entity that changed from sole establishment to LLC? 0
Good morning.
Kindly help me out with the below query:
If a sole establishment is converted into an LLC, what would happen to the existing Lease Agreement with the Sole Establishment as the tenant?
Thank you.
Aug 23, 2024
115
Bank filed a civil case over a loan: Better to settle with the bank or in court? 0
Good day, Sir,
I have received a message from the Dubai Court stating that a bank has filed a civil case against me. The loan has been pending since February 2019.
I cleared the cheque bounce case earlier with a court fine in 2019. I am looking forward to a minimum settlement plan with the bank. The outstanding amount was around 70,000 AED, and now the message is for 115,000 AED.
What will be the best way for me to proceed: approaching the bank or dealing with it in court?
Best regards,
Jul 7, 2024
522
Is it legal for my employer to withhold my salary until I leave the country or change status? 0
Hello,
I have given my notice, and my last day is July 24, but the employer is refusing to pay my salary; even the salary for June. Is this even legal?
He claims I'll get everything at once, which is after leaving the country or changing status.
Jul 2, 2024
530
Demanding that an employee pay for visa charges a year after resigning 0
Dear Lawyers,
I worked at a bakeshop here in Dubai. I resigned exactly one year ago. Now they want me to pay for visa charges, as stated in the offer letter.
If I cannot pay for the charges, my employer will claim financial loss due to the damages, estimated to be at least 7,000 AED.
What should I do about this? My monthly salary is only 2,800 AED.
Jul 1, 2024
115
Is an employee eligible for maternity leave in the first three months of pregnancy? 0
Dear Lawyers,
Is an employee eligible for maternity leave in the first three months of pregnancy?
If an employee takes sick leave in the first three months of pregnancy, can it be considered normal sick leave or maternity leave?
Jul 1, 2024
171

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213 213 answers •
View allWhen to claim an inheritance in Dubai while being abroad and which law is applied ? 0
Dear sir/madam,
I would like someone to be honest with me. I am in the UK. How long have I got to claim inheritance in Dubai?
I was reading in the Gulf News that the laws of the country of the deceased at the time of death can be applied regarding the will.
Is this true or false? I am really looking for these two questions to be answered first. Can anyone help me with this, please?
Mar 25, 2022
407
I seek to cancel a purchased property and get refund for delay in handover 0
Dear Advocate Sweta Singh,
I am from India and in Sep 2018, I purchased an apartment in a hotel. The hotel has not been completed and the delay is more than a year.
They have not paid any compensation as per the contract, nor do they talk about it. I have paid more than 80% in installments and paying it regularly.
Please help me, guide me on how to cancel the deal and get a full refund, or any other way which helps me recover my investment.
Regards
Mar 9, 2022
340
Is it possible to apply a will issued in South Africa in the UAE? 0
Dear questioner,
My father (Muslim) has passed away in South Africa. He leaves behind 4 children, his wife (our mother) and his own mother.
He had a will for South Africa in which, I (oldest son) am executor. The will does state that it encompasses all property and assets wherever they may be.
He has various properties and assets in the UAE. My questions are:
1. Does his will have power in the UAE or will it be divided by Sharia?
2. What documents are required to wind up his estate?
3. What is the wind-up process within the UAE?
Feb 22, 2022
459
How to access the bank account of my son who passed away recently? 0
My son tragically died in Dubai and his salary has been paid into a UAE HSBC bank account.
My daughter also lives in Dubai and has an HSBC account.
How can I access my Son's bank account, please?
I live in the UK.
Feb 17, 2022
363
How can we access the bank account of a deceased person? 0
My uncle died 2 weeks ago in one of the private hospitals here in Dubai.
We have already completed everything regarding the repatriation of his body with the help of his employer and his remains are already sent back to our home country last week.
He used to give me an access of his ATM card before and I tried to access it just few days ago and I found out that there is some amount of money left on his bank account.
I am aware that he has some pending bank loan requests before he died, so I am afraid that amount might be the reason of such big amount.
Being the only family member of my deceased uncle, what should I do in order to make sure that the amount is from his savings and not from his bank loans?
In case the amount is proved to be his own savings, is there any chance for me to get the authorization to claim that amount from the bank to be used by his family?
He has a wife with 3 kids back home.
Thanks a lot in advance.
Feb 10, 2022
273

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337 337 answers •
View allCan a debt agency access AECB reports without consent for a 15-year-old closed case? 0
Dear Respected Lawyers,
Subject: Request for Legal Advice Regarding Unlawful Practices by a Debt Collection Agency
I would greatly appreciate your advice and guidance regarding a troubling issue my colleague is facing with a collection agency.
The company has been contacting the employer, urging them to ask my colleague to get in touch with them regarding a supposed liability.
This claim is related to a 15-year-old closed dispute with a bank credit card, and the issue seems to stem from outdated and inaccurate information on the AECB report.
Our main concerns are as follows:
Unauthorized Access: The company is accessing her AECB report without her consent. She has never given permission for them to retrieve or view her personal financial information.
How is it possible for a third-party agency to openly access and track AECB reports, especially for a dispute that was resolved 15 years ago?
Apr 8, 2025
74
I was evicted from my apartment to be sold but it was gifted and rented at a higher price. What can I do? 0
I was evicted from my apartment after living there for five years. My landlord informed me a year in advance that the lease would not be renewed because he intended to sell the property.
Prior to this, he attempted to impose a rent increase that was not compliant with RERA regulations, which I refused to accept. He then served me with an official Dubai Court eviction notice, citing the need to take back the property for sale.
Five months after I moved out, I discovered the property was rented out at a much higher price. Upon further investigation, I found that the ownership was transferred as a "Gift" rather than a sale.
This makes it seem like the eviction was only to raise the rent rather than a genuine need to sell.
Do I have a valid case for wrongful eviction against my landlord?
Also, under Dubai law, does transferring ownership as a "Gift" hold the same legal grounds as selling in justifying eviction?
Dec 18, 2024
87
Can I file a case for cyberbullying or defamation after my ex-wife's abusive messages? 0
Hello,
My ex-wife has abused me in chat and called me the following: illiterate, beggar, and said that I don’t have [------].
She called me a bad parent and a bad son.
Can I file a cyberbullying, defamation, or abuse case against her? What are my options?
Jan 3, 2025
109
I invested money in a business but my partner is removing me out from partnership. Can I pursue legal action? 0
Hi
I'm an Irish citizen and a resident of the United Kingdom. I got investment fraud in Dubai. I invested money into a business with a Pakistani national guy in March 2024 via bank transfer into his business account.
Now he's giving back the money which I invested in business after 9 months. He's preparing a letter from a local lawyer to kick me out of the business. I do not have any other option than to take out at least my money.
But it's unfair to me that he used my money in business and took all the advantage.
Some people say to me that if you claim money or take legal action against him, it will take too much time and I need to travel to Dubai to appear in court because it is a civil matter. But I'm not a resident.
How can I follow the civil case there?
That's why my partner knows that I can not do anything and this case keeps running long time and in the end nothing happens. But I'm thinking that I will submit a complaint through my embassy and I also have a solicitor in the United Kingdom.
Dec 24, 2024
49
Seeking justice and compensation for wife's loss due to medical negligence during childbirth 0
Dear Lawyers,
My relative lost his wife during childbirth due to clear medical negligence, as stated in the report from the DHA medical committee.
He had to relocate to India due to the situation and is currently working there.
Please guide us on the steps to take for justice and compensation.
Dec 19, 2024
75
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