Q: Hi, I am planning to buy a ready apartment in a 2-year-old building. How can I check for any dues on that apartment, would NOC suffice that the mortgage or any dues are cleared? How can I check that the seller does not have court cases against him in relation to property? How do the Service Charges get decided every year, as I understand that it is decided by Dubai Land Department who has defined the Service Index? Should I hire a lawyer to look out all legal aspects and help me till I get the property transferred to me? If yes, then what is the average cost for this service? Regards, Gufran

Q: Dear sir/madam, In January 2017, I purchased a property from a developer. The original booking was for a unit in (.......). After initial payments, I was informed that the unit was double-sold (under dispute) and the previous owner was not willing to sign a release NoC. A swap unit was offered in (.......) - due to be delivered in a few months. Due to construction issues, even 2 years later was not ready for delivery. After escalation, a unit in (.......) was offered as a second swap. All payments were completed on time for each of the units. Almost 3 years of following up passed now since making the final payments in April/May of 2019. I was not informed that the unit is under group mortgage and Title Deed can not be issued until the mortgage is cleared. Always promises that the unit is on priority for clearance. What is the possibility of getting a full refund of all amounts paid under "breach of contract" or any other applicable grounds? I would also like to know a cost estimate for any legal proceedings.

Q: To get residency in the UAE, can I buy a property that is financed worth AED 1 million or it must be fully paid in cash?

Q: Hi, After we signed an MOU to purchase an apartment, the landlord added another requirement (not listed in the MOU) that we should allow the current tenants to stay in the apartment until September, when their lease agreement finishes in March. I have two questions: Can I back out of the MOU (the owner has not signed yet) based on this unforeseen condition? If the owner signs the MOU, can I send a letter to evacuate to the tenants as an intended landlord? Thanks

An interview-format article covering the topic of contracts in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

The provisions of this law, promulgating UAE Civil Code, govern the civil transactions in the United Arab Emirates. The commercial transactions remain subject to the laws and regulations applicable in their regard.