Buying a house without using a lawyer

[OnTheLash]

I am in the process of buying a house and would like to know your thoughts on whether I should engage a lawyer or not?

 

The house is in a Thais name and will be going into my Thai wife's name. On the face of it a straight forward purchase.

 

I have been quoted 45,000 baht lawyers fees. House price 5.5 million.

 

I would like to know your experiences buying houses with and without lawyers.

[OneMoreFarang]

IMHO you need an experienced Thai person or a farang who can read and write Thai who you can trust. It does not have to be a lawyer.

I had the help of a farang friend who used to be a property agent in Thailand - and his Thai is nearly perfect. He knows all the details, and I know I can trust him.

 

[jvs]

Make sure who ever it is that is selling the house is also the owner.

Do they have the chanote at hand?

Take some one who buys and sells a lot and give them some cash to help you.

From a Thai seller to a Thai buyer should be straight forward but there is cheating going on all the time.

They may have some one at the land office who is willing to help you.

[scubascuba3]

The land office should be checking names, chanotes etc, use google lens to translate.

 

Lawyers charge what they can get away with. Ask the lawyer to list what he will do for 45k, he won't be able to

[UWEB]

And ensure that there is no Mortgage on Land or House.

[Hummin]

50 minutes ago, OnTheLash said:

I am in the process of buying a house and would like to know your thoughts on whether I should engage a lawyer or not?

 

The house is in a Thais name and will be going into my Thai wife's name. On the face of it a straight forward purchase.

 

I have been quoted 45,000 baht lawyers fees. House price 5.5 million.

 

I would like to know your experiences buying houses with and without lawyers.

First of all, is the lawyer the sales agent for the seller? Or is it a lawyer you have chosen? Thats two different things, and where the loyality going to be during the sale and handover. 

 

When I was looking for appartment in Hua Hin, the real estate agent also came with a package with their lawyer, and it was up to me to choose a lawyer for my self to finalize the take over, but they did not recomend it, and many do not even care and trust the real estate agent 100% 

[Hummin]

5 minutes ago, UWEB said:

And ensure that there is no Mortgage on Land or House.

if there is mortgage on the land, the bank holds the chanote. 

[BritManToo]

Buy with a mortgage, nobody cheats the banks during a house purchase.

 

Not to mention your wife can't easily dump you or sell the house later.

Edited 22 hours ago by BritManToo

[OnTheLash]

Thanks for the replies.

I thought that 45k was a lot to charge just for holding our hands at the land office.

The land office should check the chanote etc.

I guess its more about peace of mind.

If it did go south I am sure the lawyer would run a mile anyway.

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Buy with a mortgage, nobody cheats the banks during a house purchase.

 

Not to mention your wife can't easily dump you or sell the house later.

Thats a very good solution when the land have chanote to have mortage. 

[OnTheLash]

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

Thats a very good solution when the land have chanote to have mortage. 

 

The rates are a little steep now. Up to 7%.

[scorecard]

18 hours ago, Hummin said:

Thats a very good solution when the land have chanote to have mortage. 

 

Have you considered recording a usufruct on the back of the chanut document?

 

It would mention that even thought you personally are not the owner, the actual (new) owner agrees that you have the right to live in the property until YOU revoke that right.

 

It should also mention that the property cannot be sold without your written permission. And you would be the only person who can cancel / remove the usufruct.

 

I have a usufruct on the land and house I bought for my Thai son in a moo bahn village.

 

Son was keen for the usufruct to be be put in place. Why? 1). Respect for me. 2). Because he doesn't trust his in-laws (for very good reasons) and his wife is frightened of her unpleasant corrupt siblings.

 

Son and his wife had fears her siblings would try to get the owners name changed from son's name to son's wife's name then changed to their names.

 

They would have no hesitation to strongly pressure sons' wife and no hesitation to offer / pay big money to a lawyer or to the local lands title office to get the chanut changed. 

[OnTheLash]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

Have you considered recording a usufruct on the back of the chanut document?

 

It would mention that even thought you personally are not the owner, the actual (new) owner agrees that you have the right to live in the property until YOU revoke that right.

 

It should also mention that the property cannot be sold without your written permission. And you would be the only person who can cancel / remove the usufruct.

 

I have a usufruct on the land and house I bought for my Thai son in a moo bahn village.

 

Son was keen for the usufruct to be be put in place. Why? 1). Respect for me. 2). Because he doesn't trust his in-laws (for very good reasons) and his wife is frightened of her unpleasant corrupt siblings.

 

Son and his wife had fears her siblings would try to get the owners name changed from son's name to son's wife's name then changed to their names.

 

They would have no hesitation to strongly pressure sons' wife and no hesitation to offer / pay big money to a lawyer or to the local lands title office to get the chanut changed.