lawyer recommendations for land, house etc?

[triffid]

I will later this year make a house. I shall be grateful to have a name of a lawyer who knows the ropes - from someone who has actually been through the process successfully with this lawyer. My preferred option is not to have anyone else involved - in any case I don't have a thai wife etc. Although if the lawyer convinced me that's this would be sensible I might have a solution where a friend will buy the land and then lease it to me for 30 years etc.

If the above looks too dicey, I may then fall back to just buying a flat.

I'm looking to get a solid and reliable lawyer, fluent in english, to take me through either of the above options.

[Thighlander]

http://www.icothai.com/Property%20Department.htm I hired this company in 2006 to buy, and also to sell in 2008. The attorney was the "buyer." Don't know if they still use that method, but they know the ropes. A paralegal can/will do a lot of the work, under supervision of licensed attorneys (like in America). At the time, they steered me away from the company set-up avenue, but we were still operating in a grey area. This time around, I bought a small condo, and am keeping most of my dough in America.

[sappersrest]

http://www.lawyerchiangmai.com

This company is really good , used them to "buy" my property not the cheapest in the world but you get what you pay for. First class service.

[Beetlejuice]

My advice is; that if unable to purchase land or real estate strictly as imposed under the rules and regulations required by Thai law, than purchase either a condo or rent.

Placing land or real estate into a friend`s name, no matter how good your lawyer is, is lunacy and anything you do like this, you do so at your own risk and discretion.

[Thighlander]

http://www.lawyerchiangmai.com

This company is really good , used them to "buy" my property not the cheapest in the world but you get what you pay for. First class service.

Gotta like the Tuskers ad on their website.

[chiang mai]

I can highly recommend Kuhn Sumalee of 29 Tanin for any legal work. Her office is on the ground floor of the Punna Condo building, just this side of CMU. Excellent English, highly professional and well regarded amongst Thai's and foreigners PM me for her telephone number if needed.

[Beetlejuice]

My advice is; that if unable to purchase land or real estate strictly as imposed under the rules and regulations required by Thai law, than purchase either a condo or rent.

Placing land or real estate into a friend`s name, no matter how good your lawyer is, is lunacy and anything you do like this, you do so at your own risk and discretion.

Lunacy?? Thats a tad harsh is it not?

Placing land into a freinds name without anything to secure that land is a bit risky I would say. But placing land into a friends name, and THEN having a legal loan contract done up by a lawyer where the said land is listed in the contract, is fine. The title deed can even have the loan agreement listed on it at the land office. Safe as can be. Should you ever need to "collect" on the loan agreement, you can legally go after the land that is listed on the contract.

You seem way to risk adverse to do any investing in Thailand whatsoever. Best if you do just stick to condos, would'nt want you up all night fretting about all the "what ifs".

Considering land placed in a friend`s name purely on trust as a bit risky must be the understatement of the century. Firstly the OP has not mentioned if the friend is a Thai or not?

Even if the friend is Thai, than want happens if the friend gets knocked down by a truck or dies by other causes? Who then claims the land? Probably the friend`s next of kin or whoever he names in his will if he makes one. Or what in the event the OP and his now bosom buddy fall out as what sometimes happens in life and the friend decides he wants his name off the said land?

I would be interested to know exactly how your loan scheme works? I would certainly never put my name against anything for anyone with a loan attached to it, not even for my own family and doubt if anyone in their right mind would do so, plus I never trust any Thai lawyer with arranging the ownership of my land in the names of a law firm and giving me so-called power of attorney over the land, which is another ploy often used here to give the naive farang a false sense of security that he/she is in safe hands.

[Beetlejuice]

My advice is; that if unable to purchase land or real estate strictly as imposed under the rules and regulations required by Thai law, than purchase either a condo or rent.

Placing land or real estate into a friend`s name, no matter how good your lawyer is, is lunacy and anything you do like this, you do so at your own risk and discretion.

Lunacy?? Thats a tad harsh is it not?

Placing land into a freinds name without anything to secure that land is a bit risky I would say. But placing land into a friends name, and THEN having a legal loan contract done up by a lawyer where the said land is listed in the contract, is fine. The title deed can even have the loan agreement listed on it at the land office. Safe as can be. Should you ever need to "collect" on the loan agreement, you can legally go after the land that is listed on the contract.

You seem way to risk adverse to do any investing in Thailand whatsoever. Best if you do just stick to condos, would'nt want you up all night fretting about all the "what ifs".

Considering land placed in a friend`s name purely on trust as a bit risky must be the understatement of the century. Firstly the OP has not mentioned if the friend is a Thai or not?

Even if the friend is Thai, than want happens if the friend gets knocked down by a truck or dies by other causes? Who then claims the land? Probably the friend`s next of kin or whoever he names in his will if he makes one. Or what in the event the OP and his now bosom buddy fall out as what sometimes happens in life and the friend decides he wants his name off the said land?

I would be interested to know exactly how your loan scheme works? I would certainly never put my name against anything for anyone with a loan attached to it, not even for my own family and doubt if anyone in their right mind would do so, plus I never trust any Thai lawyer with arranging the ownership of my land in the names of a law firm and giving me so-called power of attorney over the land, which is another ploy often used here to give the naive farang a false sense of security that he/she is in safe hands.

What if! What if! What if!!

He said put it in a friends name, not a complete stranger!! You know, friends?? Those people who you like and respect and have healthy relationships with?? People that you can trust? I take it you dont have many?

And it would HAVE to be in a Thai, as non-Thais can not own land. I thought you knew that??

If the friend dies, there would be a last will in place. Once again, a non-Thai CAN have land willed to them, or have you already forgotton the other thread about this??

If the friends fall out, there is still a outstanding loan agreement. Best would be to both visit a good lawyer to remove the one friend from the deal.

This is not my loan scheme. Its simply a loan agreement for a certain amount with assets listed.

Why are simple agreements so complicated to you? And you said that you have many many years of business experience?? Really??

Can`t be bothered, but good luck to the OP anyway and hope it all works out.

[triffid]

My advice is; that if unable to purchase land or real estate strictly as imposed under the rules and regulations required by Thai law, than purchase either a condo or rent.

Placing land or real estate into a friend`s name, no matter how good your lawyer is, is lunacy and anything you do like this, you do so at your own risk and discretion.

Lunacy?? Thats a tad harsh is it not?

Placing land into a freinds name without anything to secure that land is a bit risky I would say. But placing land into a friends name, and THEN having a legal loan contract done up by a lawyer where the said land is listed in the contract, is fine. The title deed can even have the loan agreement listed on it at the land office. Safe as can be. Should you ever need to "collect" on the loan agreement, you can legally go after the land that is listed on the contract.

You seem way to risk adverse to do any investing in Thailand whatsoever. Best if you do just stick to condos, would'nt want you up all night fretting about all the "what ifs".

I'm not sure if your concluding advice was addressed to me, but I have an open mind about this and to the lawyer convincing me on a 'safe' structure. My first preference is for buying land and making a house under a structure that would allow me to sell it all at a future date if I want to move to smaller rented accommodation. If the structure looks patently dicey or incapable of allowing a later sale my fall back option would be to consider either a long lease on the house that is capable of assignment/sale. If both these options prove dicey or if the latter option seems financially unattractive I would fall back to just buying a flat. Anyway I have the time to invest a little money in consulting a couple of good lawyers and mulling over what they propose before making a decision. Hence my wanting members to recommend lawyers.

[Thighlander]

the lease/will/loan is relatively solid, but not in the same league as an insured deed in the US, or likely the UK. Could you use it to secure a loan? No. Could you borrow against it? No. If you had trouble with the neighbors dogs; would you really have firm legal ground to stand on? Probably not.

[triffid]

the lease/will/loan is relatively solid, but not in the same league as an insured deed in the US, or likely the UK. Could you use it to secure a loan? No. Could you borrow against it? No. If you had trouble with the neighbors dogs; would you really have firm legal ground to stand on? Probably not.

As I have said above my key issue is can I sell it on - of course at something near the market price that a thai with normal paperwork could.