grary Posted June 10, 2009 Posted June 10, 2009 Hi one and allI am settled in South East Asia and visit my expat mates a few times a year in the PI. One of them has built a nice apartment block but its not finished. He rents the them out as its a nice spot and demand is always there. I have the chance to lease a small studio apartment on a 25 year lease. I wont be living there for another 4/5 years or so. I can rent it out once the deal has gone through & it will start paying for itself. My mate has adopted his gf's 3 year old child and it all looks nice and rosy etc!! The building is in his girlfreinds name and will be put in a trust for the child to get when the child is 28. I am waiting to see the contract my mate will draw up and I totally trust him but of course I need to get it all legaly verified. So how do I go about it... how much will a lawyer cost to notarise it etc and can I trust the lawyer? All hypothetical questions I know but just need to get more info. It seems that once it is leased to me she cant legaly do anything as we have a legal binding agreement, right? She is a lovely girl but human nature being what is it who knows how things may pan out. Any input would be really appreciated. I have to go back in a month or so to sign etc and put down a deposit so need to get on it and see what I can find outThanks in advanceRegards G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lee Posted June 11, 2009 Posted June 11, 2009 Hello again GI do not have the answers for you on that and no disrespect meant by this, but I am wondering why you do not just buy a condo which is legal for you to own as a foreigner and then not have to worry about possible problems arising from something like that?I personally think the situation sounds to me like you are trying to get yourself into a can of worms and there are just too many variables to cover all bases IMHO. Such as, would a contract between you and her be binding to the child and what if she decides to throw you out, how much will it cost you to go to court, how long will it take to regain entry and do you actually have any rights in the Philippine courts as a foreigner, and the answer to the last one IMO is no. Next, if you still want to go ahead with this, you did not say where the apartment is, so it would be hard to recommend a good lawyer, but if it is in or about Cebu, then I could give you a name and you can try to contact him and see what he would charge. In answer to your question, can you trust a lawyer, yes if you get an honest one and no if you pick the wrong one. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retired Posted June 11, 2009 Posted June 11, 2009 Hi one and allI am settled in South East Asia and visit my expat mates a few times a year in the PI. One of them has built a nice apartment block but its not finished. He rents the them out as its a nice spot and demand is always there. I have the chance to lease a small studio apartment on a 25 year lease. I wont be living there for another 4/5 years or so. I can rent it out once the deal has gone through & it will start paying for itself. My mate has adopted his gf's 3 year old child and it all looks nice and rosy etc!! The building is in his girlfreinds name and will be put in a trust for the child to get when the child is 28. I am waiting to see the contract my mate will draw up and I totally trust him but of course I need to get it all legaly verified. So how do I go about it... how much will a lawyer cost to notarise it etc and can I trust the lawyer? All hypothetical questions I know but just need to get more info. It seems that once it is leased to me she cant legaly do anything as we have a legal binding agreement, right? She is a lovely girl but human nature being what is it who knows how things may pan out. Any input would be really appreciated. I have to go back in a month or so to sign etc and put down a deposit so need to get on it and see what I can find outThanks in advanceRegards GPersonally i have never heard of a 25 year lease on an apartment unless you are talking condo like Lee mentioned . Based on what others tell me i would never consider such an arrangement . First because laws here are interperted by a judge and not by a jury and secondly because as a " Kano " you basically have no rights within the Philippine jsystem . I know that sounds harse and attorneys will tell you it is not so but in reality it is . :-)As am example i have an expat friend that was married to a Filipino for 25 years and his wife died . They had no children yet he has been in court for a year and a half now . Why ? Because he is a " kano " . And because his wife's family laid claim to his and his wife's home . :wt-hell: Now he can afford to fight it and he is stubborn enough to but are you willing to go through this kind of expense to do so is a question you need to ask yourself .In this culture the judge holds all the power and if your opponent has an attorney that pays the most then they will get the favorable ruling . That's just the way it is though it may vary in different locations as to the number of judges engaging in this practice . In my friends case the judge would not even allow his attorney to present evidence on his clients behalf . As so often is said .. this ain't Kanas . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum Support Old55 Posted June 11, 2009 Forum Support Posted June 11, 2009 Hi Grary, You stated "The building is in his girlfreinds name". If I were you I would pass on the lease because the girl friend owns the building and you are not Filipino. Sometime down the road it's likely your money will be lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brock Posted June 11, 2009 Posted June 11, 2009 Hi Gary, How you doing mate...dont listen to anybody...buy a house in my kids name, then leave it to them when you kick it...in the meantime you can always stay in my basement free...hope to see you soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grary Posted June 12, 2009 Author Posted June 12, 2009 Thanks alot guys for the feedback... I had already decided thats its too much & not to go ahead and you just tipped it over completely. Brockster!! get online for a chat mateCheers everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted August 6, 2009 Posted August 6, 2009 Hi Grary, You stated "The building is in his girlfreinds name". If I were you I would pass on the lease because the girl friend owns the building and you are not Filipino. Sometime down the road it's likely your money will be lost.Great looking Gasser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lee Posted August 6, 2009 Posted August 6, 2009 Hi Grary, You stated "The building is in his girlfreinds name". If I were you I would pass on the lease because the girl friend owns the building and you are not Filipino. Sometime down the road it's likely your money will be lost.Great looking GasserRyan, :13_4_10[1]: to the forum. Yes that is a great picture of a 55 Chevy and I would love to own the real thing if I could. Probably worth a small fortune by now. :cheers: Anyway back on topic, since this thread is about leasing laws etc, maybe you could make a comment on whatever experiences you might have had with leasing apartments in the Philippines. Otherwise the members would appreciate it if you could make a post in the introduction section and tell us something about yourself, what interests you might have in the Philippines or do you live in the Philippines and where and any experiences or other information that you feel comfortable sharing with us. We have found that it always helps members to get to know each other and will speed up getting to full member status.Hope you enjoy the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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