Q: I purchased an off-plan property studio in Mar' 2018 from a well-reputed builder in Dubai. The anticipated handover date was March' 2020. In Aug 2019, I received notice that there is a fire incident at the site. Same month Aug' 2019 I have cross-checked the project status on the Dubai Land Department website which shows only 23% of work has been completed. It was clearly understood that the project was running late & they were never in a position to complete on-time March' 2020 even if the fire incident would not have happened. In the month of handover Mar' 2020, we have received that due to force majeure the handover is delayed & the remaining monthly instalments are paused & will be taken on completion, paid 50% till now. As I understand from my contract, delivery can be pushed by up to 12 months, however, there is no mention of actual delay that can be taken on a note of force majeure. What are my options with the developer? My preference would be to terminate the contract and get my money back.

Q: Hello I bought an off-plan apartment with a developer, paid half and the other half was supposed to be paid on receiving the apartment which was supposed to be received end of 2019. But they postponed it till March 2020, and now the project is way behind and no improvement at all as I'm in phase 2 and they are still building phase one. What can I do to get my money back?

Q: Hello, We purchased an off-plan property in 2017. The delivery date is Q4 2018. SPA includes a 1-year extension after this date (which would lead to Q4 2019 completion date). To this date, we have received no communication about a new completion date. It keeps getting extended and extended. The online portal says that the delivery is in May 2021. As this seems to be in breach of the contract signed, we would like to know the following: 1. Can we terminate the contract and recover our payments (40% has been made so far, and 60% due at the handover)? 2. The SPA has a clause of Force Majeure in it, but it states that: should an event of Force Majeure occur that delays the delivery, the seller must notify, as soon as practicable, the purchaser and communicate a new anticipated completion date - no such communication has taken place. Can the seller use the COVID 19 pandemic as an event of Force Majeure (even though COVID-19 took place months after the extended completion date expired)? Thank you for your advice!

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.