URGENT ADVICE NEEDED - IS IT A CON?

• Hello Natalie,
  
  First of all, it is quite odd that your friends still dont have the title / land documents that they bought almost an year ago... Usually when someone bougth a plot of land or a house they go with the vendor to the "conservatória do Registo Predial" to register the property in their name, but it as been an year and they still don´t have the documents.
  
  Second, it is very important to know why the planning permission is not ready yet. Does the council allows/permit to buid in that area? Because to buy a plot of land and intent to buid there are diferent things. Your friends might just want to buy the land and have no intention of building, rigth? So, at the moment they should have the land papers in their hands!
  
  About the 90 days rule, that it might be true, but only with two conditions; a) the area were the plot of land is located has to be included in a urban constrution pallannig; b) the 90 days rule is only applied if the architect and the buiders had entered with all the paperwork at the council to have the building permission. Only then, and if the council doesn´t give an answer within 90 days, they can go ahead and build anyway.
  
  Only if this two conditins are guarantied this rule is applicable.
  
  I agree with steve when he says: Independent. It is a good option, but here in Portugal it's easier to make the processes running in the council if the architect knows the builder, and the builder knows someone inside the council, and so, and so...if you know what I mean... but it might be a excelent option to do it independently, even if your friend have to go to the council, it doesn´t mean they will be put to the back of the queue. The process it will the take the regular time to be approved.
  
  I hope this information will be useful for you and your friends, and will be pleased to gather some more information for all of you.
  
  If you need my help or anything else that I may be useful, please send me an e-mail to: [email removed]
  
  Wish the best for you and your friends.

  Jorge Lopes 17 May 2007, 07:38 - Report

URGENT ADVICE NEEDED - IS IT A CON?