TalkBaja.com » Baja Real Estate Advice / Discussion » Before you even think about buying property

The Baja California representative of PROFECO, Dolores de Méndez, says that 40% of all complaints the Mexican Federal Consumer Protection Agency receives are related to the purchase, sale or transfer of real estate.

http://www.oem.com.mx/elsoldetijuana/notas/n2959684.htm

I do not read Spanish that well, but what percentage of total real estate transactions have generated a complaint in Baja?

Originally Posted by douglas117

I do not read Spanish that well, but what percentage of total real estate transactions have generated a complaint in Baja?

Try this:

translate.google.com

Originally Posted by douglas117

I do not read Spanish that well, but what percentage of total real estate transactions have generated a complaint in Baja?

The lines at PROFECO are always out the door around the building. It's the place to file a formal consumer complaint. My guess is the number is high for Baja because thousands of Tijuaneros bought into those crackerbox homes that line the 5&10 and are having disputes with developers or "HOA's". A few new housing developments became unsafe due to land movement. I doubt there was a large number of coastal real estate transactions to file complaints about- certainly not enough sales to represent 40% of anything. jmho

TO EVERYONE WHO WANT TO BUY IN MEXICO!!!! ALERT!!! DON'T DO IT, LET ME SHARE OUR STORY!!

This is a shot in the dark for me, but I think it is important that Southern Californian's, Retirees and the baby boomers especially!!
You all need to be made aware of the danger of purchasing land/property here in Baja, California

Please, please, if there is something that you can do to publicize what is happening to us here in Baja (7 miles south of the San Diego Border), please do it for the public interest!!

Use us as a glaring example and forewarning of the corruptness of land sales down here. It doesn't matter what the banks, the NOTARIOS, LAWYERS, ALL OF THEM says or does! We did everything absolutely 100% correctly, we spent $30,000 for our legal papers with a Fideocomiso and notary everythiing! It all seems to be null and void because someone can come along and claim title to your property, as is what has happened in our case. It all means NADA! This happening to 18 land owners with both with ESCRITORIOS AND FIDEOCOMISOS, BOTH MEXICANS AND AMERICANS!


We are a group of Americans and 3 Mexicans who purchased parcels of land from a Corporation here in Baja...precisely at KM 18, It is ocean front property; some have owned their property for over nine years.


Every one of us went through all of the legal channels, including notaries, permits, FM3 and paid Santander Bank twelve thousand dollars each to keep the property in trust, since we, are Americans, and can not own property in Mexico. -And paid the annual fee to Santander Bank for the Trust as well as annual property taxes.

At this point, none of those legal proceedings or documents mean a darn thing, because apparently, a company, namely, Tourismo Pacifico is saying they won the land dispute in 2006 and that the Lange Corporation, whom we bought the land from, never responded to the courts, and neither did the bank.....so basically, won by default. How convenient was that?
Now seven years later, after we have built our homes, they are claiming that this is not our land. We were never ever notified previously.

It is prohibitively expensive to defend ourselves, and some of us don't have the funds....it will cost between twenty-five to fifty thousand dollars each, depending on the current value of the house.
Santander Bank has left us out in the cold...they claim they didn't know anything, haven't heard anything and it's our problem.

I am in absolute shock that this has happened to us. We are innocent victims in this situation and will need huge amounts of money if we want to keep our homes.


Mexico is enticing Baby Boomers to come down and buy property...especially now, that they are changing the law, that Americans can now own property. Ha.



It's been a horrible, painful experience. This was my life's savings.

Thank you so much for anything you can do to expose this further.

Michael.

Michael, so very sorry about what you guys are going through. I think this needs to be a topic of its own to discuss so lets keep the discussion focused on the other thread you started:

Purchased Parcels From Lange Corporation KM 18 Transpeninsular

It pains me to read all of these real estate fraud stories. This is why I would just rather RENT a place if moving to Baja. The risks are just to overwhelming!

Originally Posted by Bob H

It pains me to read all of these real estate fraud stories. This is why I would just rather RENT a place if moving to Baja. The risks are just to overwhelming!

It certainly is not a simple process that one should take lightly. It takes a lot of homework, investigation and legwork that must be done before one should even ponder the idea of putting down a deposit on anything. One suggestion I always give is to go out and talk to the neighbors in the area surrounding a property they are considering purchasing. You would be amazed what you can learn about a property from the neighbors. They have lived there, know the sellers and most likely any title problems/disputes/issues.

Then ALWAYS ask for a copy of the escritura and share that along with any information you can extract from the neighbors with a well recommended RE attorney who is familiar with national land titles.

It takes work but pays off if you plan to stay down here.

Renting is always a viable option and probably the best choice for anyone considering living down here but not sure if they want to make it a long term thing IMHO...