Hello from Oz

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Toni
Posts: 3
Joined: 16 Oct 2018 05:36

Hello from Oz

Post by Toni »

Hello All
A warm hello from Australia. It’s getting warmer over here thank goodness but not as warm as it should be for this time of year.

We’re planning on coming over to Cyprus next year to hopefully tackle the Lands Title Office for some land we’ve inherited from our dear Father – so please bear with me if I ask some dum questions.

I (we) inherited some land in the North of Cyprus (I know you can’t advise on that) but we know that our father had quite a bit of land and the listing we have received from the Lands Title Office doesn’t include it all. We need an agent/lawyer/legitimate person to do a search on our behalf of all the land that may be in his name both in the North and we are now thinking he also has some land in the unoccupied area too. Is there such a person on organisation that offers this service that you can recommend?

We do have family in Cyprus but we don’t really expect them to drop everything to help us and also not sure whether they want to and prefer to organise/pay someone ourselves who is accountable to us.

We plan on going to Cyprus next year to chase up some info but we really do feel that we need someone to do this as a first step so that we know how big a job it will be.
Nigel Howarth
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Re: Hello from Oz

Post by Nigel Howarth »

Good morning Toni & welcome to the forum.

A lawyer in the Republic could make enquires on your behalf with the Department of Lands & Surveys in Nicosia (you can get a list of English-speaking lawyers provided by the British High Commission in Nicosia by clicking here). But I think one of the problems you may have is that many Cypriot's have the same name and it will be difficult to identify which one is your late father.. I'm not sure if the Department of Lands & Surveys holds the ID numbers of people in its records. (I've looked at the Title Deed for my house and all it has is my name.)

As for his land in the occupied area, I'm not sure how you will do about finding it. Turkish Cypriots who fled north after the invasion were given property by the regime in exchange for the property they left in the south and these properties were issued with a 'local' Title Deed. Although you may be able to find the land you'll be unable to do anything about it. (There was a case a few years ago where a British couple, the Orams, purchased a house in the north that was was built on land owned by a Greek Cypriot. After the Greek Cypriot took legal action and won, the Orams were instructed to demolish the house and return it to the state it was in before the house was built. But as far as I'm aware the Greek Cypriot owner hasn't been able to do anything with the land.)

I think the best idea for you when you get here is meet with one of the lawyers on the list above to see what can be done.

Regards,
Nigel Howarth
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Pantheman
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Re: Hello from Oz

Post by Pantheman »

Dear Toni,

you don't really need any lawyer to do this job. The land registry will have any lands your father had listed against his ID number (or passport)

You can go to the Land registry and ask one of the agents that usually operate outside to fill in the search form for you, you may need you father ID and and you father has passed his death certificate.

They will issue you with a list of lands,that are assigned to this number. The land registry office have a department that deals with the lands in the occupied areas and they can help, just go in and ask. Depending in what area the lands are, you may need to go to the appropriate land registry office.

Do you have the title deeds of the said lands, so you can check against the list??? Because there have been instances where some lands were assign a temporary number and not that of the real owner and by having the deeds you can prove they are yours and they will then consolidate them onto the one single ID number.

Good luck
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Pantheman
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Re: Hello from Oz

Post by Pantheman »

Nigel Howarth wrote: 20 Oct 2018 09:19 But I think one of the problems you may have is that many Cypriot's have the same name and it will be difficult to identify which one is your late father.. I'm not sure if the Department of Lands & Surveys holds the ID numbers of people in its records. (I've looked at the Title Deed for my house and all it has is my name.)
Note to Nigel: If you look to the left of you name on the title, you will see a number. This is the ID number (if you have one), or the passport number (if not) that was used at the time of registration to your name. ;-) ;-)
For all your property needs, we offer Trust, Integrity, Honesty.
FSB Properties Ltd
Registered and Licensed Real Estate Company. Reg. No. 1145, Lic. No. 572/E
Member of ETEK Registration No. A201999
https://www.fsbproperties.com
Nigel Howarth
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Re: Hello from Oz

Post by Nigel Howarth »

Thanks Pan
Nigel Howarth
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Toni
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Re: Hello from Oz

Post by Toni »

Thank you both. At this stage we really do feel that we need someone to hold our hand a bit. We know the property rules over here but the Greek language is also a barrier.

I will contact one of the lawyers from the website and hope they can do some of the background work for us before we get there.

Personally I don't know if anything will come of it but I feel we have to try. Our father wanted us to. I like the idea of living over there for a few months out of the year too.

I am not sure there is necessarily a forum for Greek Cypriots who have lost land in the North and who live overseas?

It seems to be a big gap in information and the Australian Consulate in Australia (Canberra)and Government Departments in Cyprus don't seem to be able to deal with these type of enquiries. It feels like we don't matter much in the scheme of things.
Nigel Howarth
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Re: Hello from Oz

Post by Nigel Howarth »

Hi Toni

You will not find the Greek language a barrier. My wife & I had Greek lessons for 3 years but every time we tried to use it most replied in English, but a few spoke so fast we couldn't understand. Most people here speak English.

When we moved into our house I went to the post office to get them know. I said in Greek 'we live in the house with the green roof near Mr Panicos'. Postie replied rather indignantly 'I speak English you know' (in an Australian accent.) And when I asked for some cans of coffee for my builders in a kiosk in Greek, the shopkeeper asked if I was an English Cypriot.

I'm not sure if there's a forum for the Cypriot diaspora from the north, but I know several Cypriots from Famagusta who now live in Limassol.

Regards,
Nigel Howarth
Independent information & advice for Cyprus property buyers
Contact Nigel Howarth
Read the latest Cyprus property news
Toni
Posts: 3
Joined: 16 Oct 2018 05:36

Re: Hello from Oz

Post by Toni »

:-)) Thank you NIgel. My Greek is probably passable to speak - the written stuff is a lot slower. I know I have an Australian accent.

Cheers
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