Who's up to What?

[keda]

Friend has been here about 18 months of the past 4 years, sealed his decision to become an expat by buying a condo about 5-6 months ago, and after the usual head banging with the builders finally moved in about a month ago - as the first and only person residing in his block of the 3 behind and running parallel to Thappraya Road, between Hanuman and Number One restaurant.

Chatting over breakfast and turns out he can't have a phone...oh, why?...because the condo has no official address. He seemed comfortable with this but I dug a bit more and turns out the complex is touted under the name Jomtien Plaza, but is not recognised by the Post Office and won't be until a 'government inspection', deferred from last month to next month gives the go ahead with I guess some official paper that says it is safe enough to be lived in, followed by a proper address, registration, and life gets back to normal.

But for now, though he's paid for the condo and is actually living there, as far as the Land Registry is concerned nobody owns anything in those 3 blocks because they don't exist. He has connected with other owners and confirms that they too have nothing more than a receipt to prove their purchase, and though I'm sure this is more than adequate since not even Thais can run off with an entire condo complex, I'm a bit concerned at the remotest possibility that the 'government inspection' may turn up some sticking point that's too big to be soothed over with a mere envelope, leading perhaps to a new set of hassles.

Highly unlikely mind you, and though there may be nothing at all unusual about this type of situation it's one I've never encountered before, which is why I find it a bit odd that the builders are selling condos that six months down the road are still unregistered.

Thoughts and ideas invited.

[smeden]

Friend has been here about 18 months of the past 4 years, sealed his decision to become an expat by buying a condo about 5-6 months ago, and after the usual head banging with the builders finally moved in about a month ago - as the first and only person residing in his block of the 3 behind and running parallel to Thappraya Road, between Hanuman and Number One restaurant.

Chatting over breakfast and turns out he can't have a phone...oh, why?...because the condo has no official address. He seemed comfortable with this but I dug a bit more and turns out the complex is touted under the name Jomtien Plaza, but is not recognised by the Post Office and won't be until a 'government inspection', deferred from last month to next month gives the go ahead with I guess some official paper that says it is safe enough to be lived in, followed by a proper address, registration, and life gets back to normal.

But for now, though he's paid for the condo and is actually living there, as far as the Land Registry is concerned nobody owns anything in those 3 blocks because they don't exist. He has connected with other owners and confirms that they too have nothing more than a receipt to prove their purchase, and though I'm sure this is more than adequate since not even Thais can run off with an entire condo complex, I'm a bit concerned at the remotest possibility that the 'government inspection' may turn up some sticking point that's too big to be soothed over with a mere envelope, leading perhaps to a new set of hassles.

Highly unlikely mind you, and though there may be nothing at all unusual about this type of situation it's one I've never encountered before, which is why I find it a bit odd that the builders are selling condos that six months down the road are still unregistered.

Thoughts and ideas invited.

maybee an idea to deposit 25% in a bank to all papers are ok

[Driventowin]

This country never ceases to amaze me!! Everything is done bass ackwards!!!..Build the house/condo and they will come attitude...

In the States you couldn't do a thing without all of that already in place which is all part and parcel for the planning, permitting and final approval process from the local city or county.. Which is then followed up by inspections to assure compliance...Incredible!! Is all I can say....

[keda]

The good news is his water and electrikery are free.

[chitown]

The electric company installed service, but the phone company will not???

Or are there doing an Isaan job for electric and running an extension cord over from the neighbors?

[cali kid]

The thing is you can run the power from the street directly to the house, but only when there is an address given can there be a meter registered and billed.. So my electrician says..

[keda]

The electric company installed service, but the phone company will not???

Or are there doing an Isaan job for electric and running an extension cord over from the neighbors?

He's not the type that would agree to have his power bypass the meter...seems water and electricity were connected as part of the infrastructure with meters for each unit, though it could be that the water runs through management and sold on at a profit, but the office have told him there won't be any bills because the meters are yet to be registered to any of the condos in his block. Downside of course is that they may well turn round in a few months and bill him for all water and power used for the entire block over the previous 6 months.

Meanwhile TOT have shooed him away and told him to return when he has an address.

[William]

Am I the only one who thinks its insane to buy property without the right to be registered as the legal owner?

Oh no, I forgot This is Thailand

[daveboy]

^
No sounds like utter madness to me what happens if no one else buys any of the other condos and the bank calls in the dept.

[keda]

I cautioned him against being the first to move in before he started turning over stones for a builder, but mainly because thinking ahead this would mean having to put up with building works all around him and associated hassles for the next 6-12 months as other owners do up their condos.

No problem, he was getting fed up at his hotel and needed a place, but I didn't know until a couple of weeks before he moved in that his was going to be the only occupied unit in the block...that came up when he told me he had tipped the office to organise water and power - just for him...also turns out he's had to tip them left right and centre to get anything done ever since he bought the place. So, far from being free, water and power have already cost him a couple of k in tips, and the way it's going I can him also getting stung for a whopping first bill.

I shan't bore anyone with the hassles he's been through from purchase to moving in, being a rather naive believer in whatever he's told, even by Thais, or the frustrations, being a stickler for honesty and integrity, but early on he mentioned that everyone in the complex will have free cable, when it's connected. Now I can't see a Thai firm offering free cable to hundreds of units, most of which will routinely pay for cable or UBC, so it may be they've given him the wrong impression of a communal receiver for an optional feed. That seems more likely, because yesterday his gf contacted Sophon and they told him the receiver is not connected and won't be until it has an address - at which time he can subscribe. No big deal, but it would be nice to have some TV choice.

Oh yes, and I didn't know the lifts were fired up for the first time yesterday, which almost brought tears to his eyes as he's on the 6th floor and has been traipsing up and down several times a day since he bought the place, what with builders, furnishings, shopping etc.