Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
3 available 3 • View allRefund of an off-plan apartment payments for delay in handover



2
Q: I bought an off-plan apartment a long time ago and paid almost 80% of the property value per my contract. Unfortunately, the developer couldn't manage to deliver it on time and transferred it to another developer 4 years ago.
The apartment is not ready by the second developer yet and they say that it might be ready by 2024 (Per our contract it should have been completed by 2009).
I called the second company and asked them to terminate my contract but they told me that they are not responsible for it and I need to contact the first company.
I also sent a couple of emails to this company (the second one) but they didn't reply to my email.
How can I get my money back?
What is the legal process in the UAE for such a case?
Thank you!




Mar 22, 2020
984
Cancellation of an apartment purchase contract and refund
0
Q: I made a contract to buy an apartment in installments with a developer. Now, I don't see it's worth it.
Would it be possible to refund my money without the need to pay any interest in due installments?

Sep 5, 2018
1055
Demands by property seller for more money and threatening to re-sell
1
Q: Hi,
I signed an MOU to purchase a property.
My seller is now asking for more money and threatening to not sell the property even though the MOU has an automatic extension clause of 20 more days.
What shall I do?
P.S. My mortgage final offer is signed and he is supposed to apply for a NOC which he is not doing.

Nov 3, 2020
630
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
4875
Law No. (8) of 2007 Concerning Escrow Accounts for Real Estate Development in the Emirate of Dubai 7
This Law applies to developers who sell units off-plan in real estate development projects in the Emirate of Dubai and who should receive payments from purchasers or financiers towards such real property units to the special escrow accounts.
May 6, 2007
11425

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What to do if our landlord keeps ignoring maintenance requests despite a clear contract? 0
Dear All,
We have a question related to private rental law in Dubai. We have been living in the same house (rented) for the last four years.
During those years, we have had to battle our landlord for maintenance at large. Our contract states that ALL maintenance is on his account (no deductible).
We have a lot of small maintenance issues, such as kitchen cabinets that are coming loose, a sewage smell in the house, and a toilet upstairs that still doesn't work after four years (despite attempted maintenance).
How can we deal with him and get him to honor the contract and resolve all of our issues so we can use the house properly? What legal steps can we take?
We have informed him plenty of times over the four years about the problems, but he seems to "ghost" us and does not reply very often.
We have issued him a warning to get things fixed by the end of this month (via WhatsApp), but he doesn't seem to mind.
Hope you can help with advice and maybe RERA down the line.
May 22, 2025
12
Can a friend be held liable for sharing my private medical information without my consent? 0
Hello,
I have found out that a friend divulged sensitive and private medical information to others without my consent.
Is this against the law?
May 22, 2025
12
After evicting a tenant for renovation, can the landlord rent the property to another tenant? 0
Hello,
If the tenant is evicted due to renovation, once the renovation is done, can the landlord rent the property to a new tenant, or does the landlord have to wait for 2 years?
May 22, 2025
13
Can I travel outside the UAE if I have a complaint for breach of trust by embezzlement? 0
Hello,
I have a complaint registered against me. The crime description is "breach of trust by embezzlement."
Can I travel outside the UAE? I don't have any travel ban against me.
May 22, 2025
12
After evicting the tenant for personal use and gifting the property to my son, can he rent it out? 0
Hello,
I had evicted the tenant by giving 1-year notice with the reason being for personal use.
After 1 year, the tenant vacated the apartment. I gifted this property to my son, who is 18 years old.
Can my son rent out this property?
May 21, 2025
12

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What is the responsibility of the employee in case of leaving before the end of the notice period? 0
What is the responsibility of the employee?
The employment contract is set to conclude on 31st May 2025. The employee initiated discussions regarding a salary increment approximately 30 days prior, during which the management engaged in meetings with the employee but ultimately decided to maintain the current salary.
The employee subsequently chose not to renew or continue the employment, this decision having been finalized in a meeting held on 20th May 2025.
How does the notice period apply in this context?
Specifically:
1) Would the grace period (30 days after the contract/visa ends) be considered as fulfilling the notice period requirement?
2) Is the employee entitled to request a different salary during this grace or notice period?
May 21, 2025
19
What can I do if the employer refuses to compensation and settlement after terminating me without notice? 0
I work for a Meydan Freezone employer under a limited contract. The employer has terminated my contract without notice after 1 year and is not offering to pay 3 months' compensation severance, nor a notice period, nor a correct settlement.
They are asking me to sign a contract to waive it. I contacted MOHRE, who stated you need a NOC or referral letter from Meydan, but Meydan stated they do not issue one, and private matters and disputes are between you and the employer.
May 21, 2025
16
How many days does it take to be deported from the UAE? 0
Hello,
Sir, how many days will it take for an Indian to be deported from the UAE?
May 21, 2025
32
What can I do if I missed the hearing and a judgment was made in my absence? 0
Hello,
What can I do if I was absent from the hearing because of improper information and they gave judgment in my absence?
May 21, 2025
21
Can I ask the execution court to request MOHRE to seize the labour card of a debtor? 0
Hello,
Seizure of MOHRE Labour Card by Dubai Execution Court
I am an execution requester. My execution debtor has not paid me for the last 12 years after starting the execution file.
Can I request the execution court to write a letter to MOHRE, obliging them to seize the labour card of the debtor?
If yes, from when was this procedure permitted?
May 21, 2025
25

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After evicting a tenant for renovation, can the landlord rent the property to another tenant? 0
Hello,
If the tenant is evicted due to renovation, once the renovation is done, can the landlord rent the property to a new tenant, or does the landlord have to wait for 2 years?
May 22, 2025
13
If the Public Prosecution appeals a not-guilty verdict with no new evidence, will it stay the same? 0
Hi Sir,
My husband had a judgment where he was found not guilty, as the misdemeanor court stated that it doubts the charges against the accused and found no conclusive evidence except the statements in the report files.
The court considered this invalid because there was no translator. After this, if the Public Prosecution appeals, will the verdict remain unchanged and be upheld if there is nothing more than this
Can you shed some light from your experience on this issue and say if the result will remain the same?
May 20, 2025
26
What can I do if a contractor failed to deliver a paid renovation project? 0
Hello,
I paid a contractor (via bank transfers) to deliver a project (1BHK renovation – full), and they did not.
What action can I take against them in Dubai?
May 19, 2025
32
My lawyer overcharged me for registering my labour case. What should I do? 0
Hello,
My lawyer has charged me more than the actual amount for registering my labour case.
What should I do?
May 13, 2025
30
كيف يمكنني الاستعلام عن قضية إبعاد أمني ومحاولة العودة إلى الإمارات؟ 0
السلام عليكم،
أود الاستفسار بشأن قضية إبعاد زوج خالتي من دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة. زوج خالتي كان مقيماً في الإمارات وكان قد وُلد وترعرع هناك.
في عام 2013 تم إبعاده من الإمارات، وكان ذلك نتيجة لسياسات حكومية كانت تستهدف مجموعة من المقيمين في تلك الفترة، وهو لم يكن قد ارتكب أي مخالفة في ذلك الوقت وكان يُعتبر ضحية للسياسات المتبعة.
أرغب في معرفة الإجراءات التي يجب أن أتبعها حالياً من أجل رفع هذا الإبعاد وتمكينه من العودة إلى الإمارات.
أرجو أن توضح لي كيف يمكنني مساعدته في هذا الموضوع.
شكراً جزيلاً.
May 1, 2025
32

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How to take a legal action after being scammed by an individual and a corrupt lawyer? 1
Hello,
We have been scammed by an individual who did not provide the stated service. They took a lot of money and important documents. I have audio recordings of him talking about these things.
We had a bad lawyer in Iraq who stole property by forging documents. This man said he had many connections to help us. While it was true that he had connections, he didn’t actually help us.
Instead, he cooperated with the bad lawyer, agreed with him, and gave the bad lawyer all our important documents.
Dec 24, 2024
386
What is the difference between filing a criminal case or a financial case for business fraud? 1
Dear Lawyers,
What is the difference between filing a criminal case or a financial case for business fraud?
Can both be done through a lawyer?
Thank you!
Sep 24, 2024
112
How to recover my money after my 2008 property purchase was canceled? 1
Hi,
I purchased a property in 2008 and have now discovered that it has been canceled. I have all the documents and payment records.
Can you please help me recover it? If not, how can I recover my money?
Thank you!
Aug 26, 2024
138
Can I apply for a residence visa after availing the amnesty program? 1
Dear Lawyers,
In case the person avails the amnesty facility and does not want to return to his home country, but wishes to stay in the UAE, can he apply for a residence visa?
Aug 29, 2024
288
How can I recover my money with a hold on my account due to a remitting bank request? 1
Hello experts,
I have a hold on my bank account even though I have shared all the requested documents with the bank proving that the money belongs to me. However, they keep insisting that the remitting bank requested a recall.
Today, I received a notice of account closure from my bank. When I inquired about the amount on hold, I was informed that only the available balance will be issued via a manager's check.
The issue has been ongoing for almost 5 months now. Any advice on how to get my money back, please?
Aug 27, 2024
167

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How can I clear an absconding case and claim my settlement after jail time? 0
Sir,
I was in jail for 2 months in a drugs case, and then my company filed an absconding case against me.
Now they are not removing the absconding case and are not ready to give me the settlement money.
What do I have to do?
May 9, 2025
37
Can we legally claim unpaid dues for food supplies based on emails and invoices? 0
Hello,
We have an agreement with a company to supply food for their buffet on a daily basis, with invoices to be issued monthly and payment to be made every three months.
The relationship actually lasted for nine months, and payment was made for two periods. In the third period, due to disagreements between our company and the company to which the supply was made, they refused to pay, noting that the outstanding amount so far is fifty-four thousand dirhams.
Can we claim the amount, noting that the agreement is not written, but there are emails exchanged between us and invoices?
May 7, 2025
29
How long does Dubai Court take to seize the amount and lift my travel ban? 0
Hello,
How much time does Dubai Court usually take to seize the amount from the bank to release my travel ban?
May 3, 2025
50
Can the landlord send me an eviction notice for non-payment despite submitting an offer and deposit at RDC? 0
I’ve lived in my building for over 4 years, with the most recent rent being AED 50,000. Each year, the management collects cheques and extra AED 2,400–2,500 cash (no receipt) for management and Ejari fees.
My contract was due for renewal on 15 Feb 2025, but management delayed, demanding a 10% rent increase even though no formal 90-day notice and the RERA index did not allow it.
After a month of excuses, the manager called on 12 March, insisted increase to 55K, and threatened eviction if I refused. When I referenced RDC, he hung up. The next day, he again made unprofessional remarks, so I decided to go with RDC.
I submitted my offer and deposit on 13th March, but the management didn’t respond. The case went to the judge on 14 April he ruled in my favor.
On 30 April, I applied for the execution of the ruling, and RDC says I can renew Ejari only on 8th May at DLD with cheques given to them.
However, on 1st May 2025, I received a notarized eviction notice for non-payment of rent and communication.
My question is, what will happen at DLD now?
May 2, 2025
39
Can the debtor file a bounced cheque case against a car loan I took if it is a guarantee cheque? 0
Hello,
I'm from the Philippines, working here for 15 years. I have a big problem, and they have repeatedly given me a case of a cheque worth AED 73,000 for almost 9 years.
Recently, they filed a case again after knowing that my case was done last October. This cheque is a guarantee cheque only for my 5-year monthly car installments.
I paid for almost 2 years and have 3 years left to be paid, but I gave the person who guaranteed my car a cheque worth AED 73,000 at that time.
I don't have enough requirements to get the 5-year monthly installment car, so I asked someone to help me, but my biggest mistake is that I don't have any agreement for this cheque because I totally trust him as my family.
After delaying payment for 2 months because I went on vacation and came back, he asked me to visit their shop. When I went, they just called me and told me to get his things.
May 5, 2025
36
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