Questions & Answers - Legal Advice Middle East

How to restructure my outstanding loan with the bank that doubled the debt amount?

Q: I requested the bank to restructure the outstanding loan for an extended period, with the remaining amount being AED 150,000. The bank informed me that the new term would be 48 months, but I later received an agreement for 72 months. Upon noticing the discrepancy, I declined the offer, and as a result of the dispute, the bank filed a criminal case against me. I paid the fine and resolved the issue with the court. Now, after 7 years, they have initiated a cheque execution case for AED 300,000 with a travel ban. I have an email from the bank stating that the liability is only after the case has been filed AED 150,000. The signature on the cheque is mine, the rest of the details were filled in by the bank, including the total amount of the monthly dues for 72 months. How can I proceed in this case? I intend to request an installment option for the original amount of AED 150,000, without any applicable interest discounts as mentioned on the cheque and the case value.

What to do with the landlord if he refuses to do maintenance for the apartment before renewal?

Q: I am posting this to seek your advice on a matter regarding the rental dispute. The scenario is as follows; I selected an apartment to rent in Sharjah. The apartment was in bad condition with termites on door frames, a bathtub that needed to be replaced and other minor fixings to be done. The agent assured me to fix all the issues so I handed him over the 3 rent cheques, 1 cash installment, and a deposit of Dhs. 2000.00 (I have the receipts for cash payments). This all happened on 26.12.2023 and he promised me to fix the property by the 1st of January and the contract shall be made for 15.01.2024. Now today is 11.01.2024 when I am writing this email to you and nothing has been done yet other than false promises of fixing it all in 2 days. The contract date mentioned is 15.01.2024 but I have not yet received it physically. Now my question is, can you advise what are my options? Any help regarding this will be much appreciated.

How to take the permission of the court to move attached company assets from place to place?

Q: We have a Dubai Mainland Foodstuff trading company that is undergoing legal issues and the company’s assets like company-owned cars, etc are attached by the court. One of the partners is out of the country but the other partner and sponsor are here in the UAE. No travel ban has been issued. Our query is regarding the company car which is currently in the partner’s building parking lot and due to the attachment, it is not allowed to move as the mulligan is unable to be removed. The partner cannot afford to live at this apartment anymore and would like to vacate but what can be done about the car? The other party’s lawyers are not responding regarding this issue either. The company trade license is still valid, can the company car Mulkiya be renewed? What is the option available so that there are no fines due to moving the car out of the building? Thank you

Terminated without notice: 1 month salary, no return ticket. What are my rights?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My company terminated me involuntarily and suddenly, and now they are offering only one month`s salary instead of three. I want my rights as they are not providing a ticket for me to return home.

Traveling to the UAE with a loan in Qatar. Are there any potential issues?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I worked in Qatar for 15 years as an HR/Admin Executive. During the corona time, I contracted the virus and came to India in May 2021 for better treatment while on leave. While on leave, the company terminated my employment and forcibly took registration. My settlement was sent to the bank, but I still have an outstanding loan of about 80,000 Qatari riyals, and the bank has banned me in Qatar. Now, I am considering working in the UAE. Are there any potential issues? Please advise me!

A broker suspects non-payment by the company. How to secure commissions?

Q: Real Estate Agency without proper contract & HR system. I have been working as a certified real estate broker for a real estate agency in Dubai. The company consistently failed to provide a proper contract, and they kept hiring and firing HR managers. We sign a contract with an HR manager and the next one comes in, as a result, the company manager claims that because the contract was signed by the previous HR, it is no longer valid. The manager never signs any contract. I have been closing a few deals in the company and now I’m suspecting that they won’t pay since they can come up with another excuse. How can we legally pursue this matter and secure our pending commissions?

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What is the meaning of objection in court?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, What is the meaning of objection in court? What will happen if the opposition objects? In the first hearing, she didn`t attend and objected. What will be the initial result from the judge?

Attested documents, signed MOHRE contract, but facing a visa delay. Why?

Q: Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing great. I have some questions regarding the delay in my visa process. All my documents have been attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Pakistan, the UAE Embassy in Pakistan, and the MOFA of the UAE. However, I am unsure why my visa is being delayed. I have already signed the MOHRE contract paper 20 days ago and I am now being fined for overstaying for 15 days. I have asked my company for an explanation and they have simply stated that the visa process is still ongoing. I checked my online status showing violated because of overstay in the UAE. I would appreciate it if someone could please explain the reasons behind the delay in Pakistani visas. Thank you!

Paid for business costs to be a partner, now ignored. How to reclaim my money?

Q: Hello, I met someone who needed financing for the business and offered me a business partnership. We entered into an agreement to add my name to the trade license as a partner, working on a 75/25 ratio. I incurred various expenses for his office, such as paying past DEWA bills, Chamber of Commerce payments, unpaid chiller bills, internet bills, and phone bills. All expenses were covered from my bank, and I have all transaction details with bank statements reflecting payments towards his office. I also paid cash salaries for overdue employees. However, he is not creating a legal agreement with me nor returning my money despite not proceeding with the partnership. I am seeking advice on legal options for such financial fraud. I have all documents related to him and his company, including bills paid towards his company, as well as screenshots of our conversations where he agreed to make payments but has not followed through. Kindly help me find a suitable way to tackle this situation where my funds are stuck.

How can I claim money I lent to my cousin to start business and is not returning back?

Q: My cousin who lives in Dubai took around AED 280000 from me on December 2023 for business and he told me that within one month he would return the money back with profits. Now it`s been almost a year he has not returned my money back. I have no written contract. The only proof I have is WhatsApp chats, videos, and voice messages of him that he received money from me and that he would return it back within one month. In August 2023 I told him that if you don`t return my money, then I would hire a lawyer and do a case. Then his father returned almost 20% of the amount back in August 2023 and told me the remaining amount I would receive from them by the end of November or December 2023. But now they are not giving me the money and telling me to go to the police or hire a lawyer, file a case do whatever I want to do. Kindly please advise me if hiring a lawyer in Dubai will be helpful or not. Will I be able to recover my money in Dubai in a legal way in such a case?

I left the UAE with an unpaid loan and termination from work. Can I return again?

Q: Respected Sir, I have an unpaid loan of AED 40k in the UAE. For two years I have been in Pakistan and the company terminated me. Can I go again to the UAE?

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Can the company ask for compensation if I did not complete my notice period after resignation?

Q: I resigned from the company by giving notice of 30 days but wasn`t able to complete the duration. I took an absence leave for the last 06 days and every day sent an email to the company for taking leave on those days. Once the 30 days were completed, my company sent me an email claiming the following: "Due to your failure to serve the notice period since submitting your letter of resignation, which is considered a clear violation of the labor law, it requires compensation depending on the type of damage you caused". Can the company take such action even after informing them every day and not receiving any response from them?

Can the building management ask me to pay the one-year expenses for non-registration of Ejari?

Q: My building asked the tenants to register for the empower portal after 1 year of tenancy. After my lease renewal, I asked the management team to provide me the Ejari and they stated I have to pay for the non-registration period (the 1 year before empowering registration) to the landlord, otherwise, I won`t get the Ejari. Am I supposed to pay for that period?

Can I go for Hajj while having an outstanding loan in the UAE?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I discovered an AED 158,000 police case at Al Raffa Police Station in Dubai, and the crime description is "giving a cheque without balance in bad faith." Actually, I took a loan in 2018, and then, due to job circumstances, I left the UAE. Can you please help me in two ways? First, let me know if I need to pay this amount to enter the UAE, as I remember I also left some card payments unresolved. Second, can I go for Hajj in the upcoming session, and will this have any impact if I take a direct flight?

What should my final payments be upon termination after one year?

Q: Dear Questioner, My employer gave a 30-day notice to everyone, stating that our restaurant is permanently closing. It is located in DMCC, and our contracts are managed by DMCC. I just need to know, according to labor law, what my final payments should be. I completed one year on December 26, 2023. Will I be paid only one month`s salary, which falls within the 30-day notice period, or will my employer have to pay three months since they are the ones who decided to close down?

Defendant stopped payments, says arrest needs proof of funds. What to do?

Q: Hello, I have won a civil case for claiming an unpaid personal cash loan. The defendant paid 50% of the total amount due and the remaining 50% in monthly installments. However, she stopped making payments because of a new law implemented last November, stating that I can only arrest her if I have evidence or a report confirming she has money. Is this true? If so, what is the process for this? I need advice, and should I hire a lawyer for this matter?