phill love

hi my name is frank just returned from phill stayed there for the 59 days,will be returning end october to stay for five months this time, have girlfriend there and think i bought a house?

Welcome Frank!

You say you think you bought a house - by which I assume you mean a house and lot rather than a condominium. You didn't actually buy a house and lot - since the word "buy" implies transfer of beneficial ownership - but you did pay for it; its new owner being your girlfriend. I do hope you didn't buy "off-plan" ...

To

You think you bought a house?

Hello Frank

Do you mean you're thinking of buying a house in October on your return to the Philippines?

Hang on to your money if that's the case and let the chaps advise you here as I don't believe it is possible for a foreigner to own property there outright.

i thought foreigners could not buy a house,it is a house in the provinces on panay but i went to see a lawyer in the village paid him 10000 pesos signed my name to a lot of documents and the owner moved out
and i took possession while i was there.
also my girl friend who was with me signed nothing.
If she can take it off me how can she do it when nothing is in her name.
without the documents i signed said it would be hers as it was all in tagalo.
i will have wait and see if they throw me out when i return end of october.

10000 pesos?

Mark, you advised against off-plan, why so?

I don't think you've bought a house and certainly not one for Php10,000 (£135).

In this country all legal documents are drafted in English, not Tagalog or any other Philippine dialect. I'm afraid to say that it looks to me that you were conned out of that money.

For a number of reasons, including:

• The developer generally won't build any houses until at least 50%-75% of the available lots are sold. If you're an early adopter, that could mean a several year wait.
• You do not get to see the plans and specifications until after contracts are signed - if then, or if at all. You could be buying a pig-in-a-poke.
• Your house won't be started until you've paid around 60%
  
• The development rarely lives up to the artist's impressions used to advertise.
• If you change your mind - too bad, you lose a lot of money if you try to cancel the purchase.
• You will be charged premium prices for any changes you make to the specification - generally all sanitary ware etc., is the cheapest available.

Maybe a catalyst for further payments when he returns? At least a lesson has been learnt without any significant loss.

Ahh ok, I guess those are some of the potential negatives with off-plan but if you're with a reputable developer, your investments should be pretty secure, of course there is always a risk with such an imvestment.

Unlikely I would say. Whatever documents were made were not drafted in English which, by law, they must be, so they have little or no legal value.

10000 pesos was for the lawyer to transfer the owner of the house land to whoever i did not think i could own it but girlfriend said i could.
as long as she owns it that is ok as long as we stay together. Been scammed, before by Thais and a philopeno this is my last time if she turns out to be like the others i am going give up on trying find a good girl. will just go on hols and enjoy them and give them nothing

Yes. You are known to be quite frank.

Don't feel bad if you have been scammed, you're not the first and you certainly wont be the last, Filipinos and Thais are generally very good people as most of us here know. Bear in mind that your girlfriend probably didn't know what was going on, that is a possibility.

Always think, people a lot smarter than you have been hoodwinked.

Enjoy Thailand and the Philippines, both excellent places

Yeah. I got scammed out of a few bob just the other week.