Planning permit

Thanks Georgina. It is good to have local feedback, although my agent has been keeping me informed with copies of the relevent approvals sent earlier this month. 

We remain interested in the development despite its past problems. It will be intereswng to see whether, for those with existing plot reservations, the new devleopment partnership can come up with a competitive package that refects current market conditions.

Paul

Hi there, I wondered whether anyone has had any further communication from Global Spaces with regard to the return of their deposit? The last I heard was that Global Spaces were going to assist with obtaining the refund by chasing the developers on behalf of clients, that was about 6-8 weeks ago, I've chased Global Spaces again but they've not replied. Anyone got any news please?

Hi have recently tried to get deposit returned through Foxtons who have palmed me off most of the time! I spoke to his contact in Spain for the new "developers/owners" who tried to convince me to stay with it, but whilst i would love to as i do think is a great spot, my personal circumstances have changed, she then said that i would need to apply to the spanish administrators/legal reps through my sols in order to stake my claim. However, this is likely to cost a grand at least and the chances are i will only get a percentage of my 3000 euros so i dont really see the point!? The positive is, it could have been a lot worse, so i am looking at the experience as positively as i can! Good luck to the rest of you!!  If any of you have been advised differently then please advise?
Ash

Hi. I was assured by the estate agent Belmonte International that we would be able to have a refund should we change our minds, which we did once we heard how many units will now be built and the length of time it has taken to get to the permit stage. This is the email I recdeived from them: ***************** I have now managed to speak with the solicitor for Millennium Lifestyle who are the land owners and the new developer of the Caravaca site. Millennium Lifestyle say that as the developers of the site they will honor the terms of your contract as such as they will deliver the same property, on the same plot at the same price. All licenses will be in place from the end of October and the delivery of your property will be 24 months from then. With regards to obtaining a refund, Millennium Lifestyle say that as they never received any of the deposit funds they can not give back money they never had in the first place. As you recall the deposit was paid to llanera. So, I contacted Llanera asking them to refund your money, and they said that they would need a letter saying why you wanted to cancel. This letter then goes to the board, who sit around and decide whether or not to issue you a refund. An absolutely ridiculous situation I know, in terms of time scale for all this to happen I don´t know. Llanera are in "Suspension de Pagos" which is basically means they are in receivership, I spoke with a good friend of mine who is a lawyer and he tells me this could be a long process which may not achieve the desired results, but it could run up significant legal costs. Several options open to us here. - Send Llanera the letter as they ask and wait and see what happens. - Involve a solicitor and see if they can assist in the matter, this will incur additional costs. - Should you buy another property then I will ensure you are reimbursed for your deposit. Please come back to me with your thoughts and we can move forward accordingly. ************************ Doesn't reassure me about handing over any more money!!! Especially as it saays if I buy another property from them they'll ensure I get my money back.... if they can do that, how come they can't honour the guarantee that I could have the deposit back at any stage before paying the balance? Has anyone been able to get their deposit back?

I don´t know if your solicitor has problems translating, Squirrel, but I can tell you for sure that Millennium Lifestyle are not the developers, they are the agents in Lorca that I bought through.....I don´t know how they fit into the group that also comprise the landowners though but Millennium Lifestyle is definately an estate agency.
The landowners changed the development name and set up an association to market & promote the project....Archivel Golf Resort.

Recently I received an email with an updated masterplan and new artists impressions of the properties...I think they look great, just hope they all get a wriggle on now!

I asked about people wanting to get their deposits back (on a friends behalf....I am staying with the development) and it seems its not very straight forward at all. Apparently there are a few options:
1) Write the deposit off.
2) Find a lawyer to lodge an official complaint in Xátiva, where Llanera is, and go down the legal route. I haven´t enquired as to how much it could cost or as to how long it might take to get settled.....or even if there is any money in the account!
3) Carry on with the purchase, without having to put another deposit down, with Archivel Golf Resort and negociate the new payment structure.

Don´t know if any of this is of any help, but if anyone wants me to ask the agent in Lorca anything next time I go in...just let me know.

 

It is very helpful to have feedback fron someone on the spot.
New agreements are now being issued. I would suggest that any of you still planning to give the develoment a chance need to give their agent formal consent to pass their plot resrvation details to Archivel Golf Resort on behalf of Plantaciones del Sureste, who I believe are the new developer..
There is now a separate Archivel Golf Resort forum. Whilst the past problems are likely to be of interest to the wary they will become less relevent as progress is made; certainly new investors are likely to find themselves directed straight to it. I certainly plan to use it for future posts and see who joins in!
 

It is very helpful to have feedback fron someone on the spot.
New agreements are now being issued. I would suggest that any of you still planning to give the develoment a chance need to give their agent formal consent to pass their plot resrvation details to Archivel Golf Resort on behalf of Plantaciones del Sureste, who I believe are the new developer..
There is now a separate Archivel Golf Resort forum. Whilst the past problems are likely to be of interest to the wary they will become less relevent as progress is made; certainly new investors are likely to find themselves directed straight to it. I certainly plan to use it for future posts and see who joins in!
 

You guys, who are hanging in for this development must either be very stupid or crazy or both!  This has been my first foray into the off-pan development market abroad, and under the circumstances am relieved to have come away with losing just £2000, it could have been and will be if you stay with it very much worse.  I never realised how risky such things are, with supposedly reputable agents fronting the development, and then when things go wrong, no one taking any responsibility!  Once bitten twice shy as they say.  The development as it stands in the current climate does not stand up and wont do for at least 10 years, my advice get out now, don't put any more of your hard earned cash into it.  If you are looking for a lifestyle buy, go out and get yourself a finished and furnished property at a bargain price, there are tons of them out there, or if after an investment look at other countries.  Good luck to all.

Hi Leytonstonblue, are you just writing off the 2 grand are you going to pursue the agents for a refund?

Hi Rob,

Yes, Im writing it off, I have no intention of putting myself through the trauma,anguish and expense involved in attempting to pursue it and the very likely outcome that there is no way of getting anyone to pay the money back.  I have no faith in this latest bunch who have taken control of the development, nor the agents like Foxtons who sold it to me.  In the current climate, they will be lucky to get any funding or indeed take any deposits on new units at the prices they are charging.  I am quite angry, that we have all been duped, having thought that our reservation fees were ring fenced and that the developers could not touch them only to, now be told that the other 2 partners did not know that Llanera had access to the funds, and these same 2 partners are now asking for our trust with the future of the development, It really does take the p*ss!  I hate to walk away without a fight, but deep down I know that it would be a pointless exercise and waste of time and energy.  Sometimes it's just best to take it on the chin and think how bad it could have been.  There are so many people out there, who have lost huge sums of money on developments that are either not finished or are not now worth what they paid for them 3-4 years ago, we have to think ourselves lucky!  Good luck in what ever you do, but my advice would be to just walk away and forget about the two grand. 

Hi Leytonstoneblue, thanks for replying

It's not in my nature to walk away, I should probably know better but I guess I never learn in that respect...

I paid the agent a reservation  fee for multiple units, they told me in their letter of receipt that the money was ring fenced and backed by a bank guarantee. That is in black and white.

They are now saying that you have to sue the owners for the money in Spain. *od that for a game of soldiers!

As far as I am concerned the agent is in the wrong and mis-sold those units by giving me wrong information, and committing that information in writing, they have received commission for those sales at around 15%, and will now get paid at the other end by the new developers, how can that be right

I believe that the agent owes a duty of care to the original buyers and that they should pursue the refunds on our behalf, and not do as they are doing, which is a Pontius Pilate and washing their hands of the matter.

So I'm going after the agent in the UK...

The guys who are still talking up this developement are probably neither  dull or stupid. My guess is that these contributors are in bed with the agents and developers,think that we are stupid,and continue to try to persuade us to hand over even more money. If any further postings try to encourage you to continue with this developement it's likely to come from dubious sources.

Hi Erylpage, For the avoidance of doubt, I'm talking about not walking away from pursuing the agents for a refund, I'm certainly not carrying on with the purchase...

I see your point, and if I had put money down on  multiple units I may very well feel the same, so it is probably down to how much money is an acceptable loss against the aggro involved in trying to claim it back.  I have a feeling that, the agents will probably claim that they have also been duped.  You know and I know that this is very wrong, however, they will undoubtedly point out that the developers accessed the funds without them knowing etc.  As with any of these situations, it comes down to how much money you can and will throw at legal representatiion without knowing if it will be successful, Im sure that there will be plenty of lawyers out there willing to take your money without any guarantee of success.  I would feel happier pursuing it through the english courts, but I believe this will be a spanish legal issue, and I have no faith in their system at all.

Hi Leytonstoneblue. I'm in the same boat. took out multiple devts, was told money ringfenced,visited the site twice and met in LLanera office a couple of times in Murcia. How can a supposedly reputable company based on London set up an office in Knightsbrdge, ride off the success of the UK side, bombard you with other development opportunities in Brazil, spain, Portugal etc etc, then shut up shop and there is no comeback? Is this not the same as going into receivership and opening up under a new name and trading terms the next day? I've been given 2 options. Put all deposits into 1 property and walk away from the others, or go legal on reclaiming deposits. Likely timescales to resolve legally would be 2-3 years. In the mean-time - the market is falling everywhere and yet the new owners are not prepared to show any sign of loyalty in offering any form of reduction to keep original depositors. It baffles me - better to have 10 people paying 20% less than none paying full... Couple that with timescales to resolve legality and licence side of the region, and I can honestly see no way that dates will be met. In the last 2 weeks i've received artists impressions of the updated development and they've changed. Also - when I last visited in April 07 - a new development was also being marketed on the opposite side of the main road... Unless an en-masse legal case was raised I can see no way of getting deposits back and feel fortunate that the euro was on our side when we originally deposited in 06. It's a great pity - the location, the concept, the infrastructure promised - would have made this an absolute haven.. reckon it's now going the other way. Good luck.

Hi All,

I am trying to obtain a refund and have been sent a form by Natasha Poinen to complete and send, one copy to my agent Foxtons  (although I do not have 'John at Foxtons' contact details - if anyone has I would be grateful to receive them) one copy to her and one for my solicitor to lodge a complain in Xativa. This would involve great expense and I am not prepared to incur and probably lose even more money.How can they say that they do not know where the deposits are held or that the accounts are frozen if some people already received a refund of the 2000 Euros after Llanera went bust !  Do they think we are stupid, but is there anything that we can do about this? My solicitor mentioned the possibility of a group claim, would be grateful to hear if anyone has set up one.  Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi

Archivel is apparently under investigation according to a website called justice for all, we have also been informed via a thread on this site that the development would not get off the ground for at least another 5 years! Have a look at (justiceforall dot eu) Not sure who they are, they contacted my parents and may be able to help.

Good luck!