North Cyprus Property | Don’t Bank on Justice

North Cyprus Property | Don't Bank on JusticeWITHOUT PREJUDICE

North Cyprus Property | Don’t Bank on Justice

I would not think that even one purchaser of a retirement home in north Cyprus bought with the idea of having to fight to keep it.  Sadly thousands have had to do just that. Some through the courts, other through negotiation and some through mediation.  Many have reluctantly paid more than the Contract price to avoid costly court action. This, in my opinion, is blackmail; pay up or else.

To go through the court system is costly and time consuming. Many victims of the property scams are pensioners on limited income, the bulk of their capital representing a life time of scrimping and saving having gone to purchase their dream. Costs not budgeted for, whether extra payment to the builder/developer or landowner or court costs, have diminished what little of their savings was left.

Imagine then if you were faced with what Pauline Read has been faced with:

  • 2316/2008 – Breach of Contract
  • 458/2009 – Case against the Bank for undue diligence and negligent lending.
  • 1/2009 (2164/06) – Appealing the banks repossession order of 20.11.2008 at the High Court
  • 2312/2010 – Kulaksiz 5 case
  • 2756/2011 – Bank v Pauline Read Libel
  • 459/2012 – Bank v Pauline Read Libel
  • 747/2012 – Bank v Pauline Read Libel
  • 1408/2012 – Bank v Pauline Read Libel
  • 1072/2012 – Bank v Pauline Read Libel although this case was issued in June 2012 it was not served until Dec. 2012

Nine, yes (9), court cases and all are caused by the fact that the purchase system in north Cyprus is allegedly, chronically flawed.

This does not take into account the Appeals at the High Court. Pauline Read tells me she stopped counting after her 100th court appearance.

Why has one person attracted so many cases? Simple, she refused to keep silent, although she is adamant she has never libelled anyone. Consider this, if she had been sold a property with no element of fraud in it, she would be happily living in the home of her dreams and not living in a nightmare. Now members of the bank family weekend in her home and the property allegedly now is in the name of a former Director of the Bank, even though this change must have occurred during the time the Kulaksiz 5 case is still in court and the outcome undecided. We cannot forget that Pauline Read’s home was taken by force and the act at that time was described as ‘criminal’ by her then Advocate.

It would be inconceivable for the Libel cases to be heard and decided upon before the outcome of the Kulaksiz 5 case is known. This in my opinion would prejudice the Kulaksiz 5 case as whichever way the court found it could be argued it was pre-empting the outcome of the Kulaksiz 5 case. Why? Because the Libel cases are a direct result of the need for the Kulaksiz 5 case. If there were no alleged fraud, there would be no alleged Libel and the Libel cases would not exist.

Many think Pauline Read should have kept silent. Some have even suggested that her stance has been the reason the Bank have been so harsh. A thinking person would realise that this is a nonsense, appeasement never worked as history shows. More likely the remaining residents could well have been treated more harshly.

Remember, the price of Pauline Read’s stance against those who would take what she paid for has already been very high. She has no villa, no compensation and now the Tapu (a government dept) are refusing to obey the court order in her favour. The Ministry of the Interior are refusing her Permission to Purchase her home she borrowed money for from her family on the strength of her belief in the justice system here. These spiteful actions are, she believes, a direct result of her opposition to injustice.

Power to the people

Citizen Smith

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