Letters to the editor 23/04

Will the Metro end all our woes?

This is with reference to the story about Dubai Metro in your last week's issue (Track To The Future, cover story, April 16). Since the trains are capable of carrying 11,010 passengers per hour in each direction during peak hour, I doubt if Dubai residents will see much improvement in traffic congestion.

Surely places like Jebel Ali Free Zone, Media City and Internet City will have at least 30,000 employees who would be interested in using the Metro provided there are convenient options to transport them to their offices quickly from the stations. And assuming three hours of peak time in the morning and evening respectively, the system will not be adequate to handle the rush. Can the Roads and Transport Authority shed light on this?

Name withheld, Dubai

‘All I see is sand'

I was saddened to read that Schon Properties' failure to provide hundreds of us with our purchased apartments is not being noticed by the authorities (Investors Suffer Due to Delay In Project, page 4, April 16).

My story is the same as all others: I sold my property in the UK and bought an apartment in 2005 at Dubai Lagoons with a handover in June, 2007.

Today, all I see is sand and a few cranes working on other buildings. I have taken legal action twice and on both occasions Schon Properties put fences up and made me jump through hoops.

We leapt as high as we could to get the advertised refund (August, 2008) but we are still waiting despite sending a lawyer's letter requesting our money back.

Melissa Meijer, Dubai

More regulations needed

I saw thousands of property booking forms during my stint in a legal firm here. The forms were full of ‘obligations' on purchasers and ‘rights' for developers.

The purchasers had only two options: take it or leave it. However, the Real Estate Court's judgments I have seen so far have been reasonable and balanced (Law Speaks: Making Its Case, pages 10-11, April 9).

And Law No 13 of 2008 brings some balance in favour of the purchaser, but it's only one step on the road and more regulations need to be introduced.

Name withheld, Dubai

Help us In 2007,

I purchased a unit in an off-plan development being sold by High Rise Properties in Jumeirah Village Circle. I paid 30 per cent of the cost at the time of booking but so far no construction has commenced and the developer has been elusive.

My understanding is that such problems are widespread. What is the legal situation and what can be done to bring defaulting developers to task? If others have similar experiences or can offer advice, please e-mail to highriseasleep@yahoo.com

Name withheld, Dubai

Editor's note: You can contact the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (Rera) with your complaint or file a case at the Dubai Real Estate Court.

Handover blues

My husband and I purchased a garden villa on Palm Jebel Ali.

When we bought it, we were told it would be ready for handover at the end of 2010. The third instalment was due on April 1. We got a letter saying that it needed to be paid and they also told us that the villa will now be handed over at the end of 2011.

I sent them a letter stating that due to the revised handover date they should adjust the instalments accordingly. In a return e-mail, they said everything was going according to schedule. I told them that it was very bad corporate governance to treat their customers like this when clearly construction of the villas had not yet started.

They told me that until Rera sets construction milestones they will continue in the same vein. If they want investment in this market they will need to practise good corporate governance. And Rera also must do something to protect buyers and insist on construction milestones to match payments.

Name withheld, Dubai

Nakheel replies: Nakheel continuously keeps its customers abreast of all construction updates, payment schedules and other project-related information. We are working with all our customers to address their concerns in a manner that takes into consideration the interests of all parties concerned.

More on the law

I read with interest your detailed and interesting report (Law Speaks: Making Its Case, pages 10-11, April 9) with regard to developers who either cancel or cannot deliver their projects and the amount of money investors are then entitled to claim.

In your informative article, Abdul Qader Mousa Mohammad, Chief Justice of Dubai Real Estate Court, says that the developer is entitled to keep 30 per cent of the amount paid to date.

However, I believe that there has been a subsequent amendment to this law – in the investors' favour. I wonder if you would be able to provide some update and clarify the current position.

Liz, Dubai

Editor's note: The statement was made by the judge in reference to the ‘30/70 law' in which developers were eligible to claim 30 per cent of investor's money held by a trust account.

But that will no longer be the case under the imminent amendment to Article 11 of Law No 13 of 2008 which will reshape how money is refunded to buyers.

Investors will get a refund if a developer has not started construction. To find out more about this new property law, go to www.xpress4me.com (search keywords: sliding, scale).

Stranded investor

I had a property in a Damac project. They cancelled the project and they offered me a refund. I agreed, but now, after eight months, they are saying they have cancelled the refund.

That has left me stranded and I do not know what to do. Rishab Rungta, Dubai Think twice This is with regard to the letter titled Identity Issue (page 13, April 16). It puzzled me. While questioning the basis of the allegation that the attacker was a Filipino (Student Stabbed, page 4, April 9) the letter writer said the culprit could have been a Chinese or a Nepalese.

I am a Nepalese and it hurt me. He should think twice before saying such a thing.

Shaikh Abdul Razzaq, Dubai

Thank you all

I would like to thank all our kabayans in Dubai who helped out those stranded drivers in Dubai (Driver Scam, page 5, April 2).

My brother is one of the victims. On behalf of my brother Simplicio Cortez, I want to say: Thank you, my compatriots. God bless all of you.

And continue to be a blessing to others.

Vangie Cortez, Philippines

Special concerns

People should take the matter concerning children with special needs more seriously (Special Families, cover story, April 9). As parents of an autistic child, we suffer because not enough is being done to help us. We only hear promises.

We are charged exorbitant prices by the centres, but we don't know how knowledgeable and qualified people working at these centres are in the absence of government monitoring.

Anas Arnaout, Dubai