Condo purchase - signature required?

[monjan]

Hi,

Sorry if others have asked. My wife (Thai) and I are near completion on the purchase of a small condo in Bangkok. She is there for the closing scheduled for middle of next week while I am now in Hong Kong where we live. She just found out from the agent that it is necessary for me to be there to sign at the land office as well but I really don't want to leave the kids without the both of us even for just a day. Does anyone know if there's any way that we can give them something perhaps temporarily until I am there in a couple of months to sign in person. The agent is trying to ask but does not sound promising.

Thanks in advance.

[Delight]

When I purchased my condo-foreign name-I never went near the land office.

The whole transaction was carried out between me and the Juristic Person Manager(JPM) . He was employed by the developer(who at that early stage was managing the place.)

Every condo by law has a JPM

Maybe ,for a fee ,the JPM -employed by the condo that you are buying into- can help

The forms that you need to sign can no doubt be posted to you.

Your wife will need to be there -if only to handle the money.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Delight

[monjan]

Situation might be different. It's a new condo but we are not buying directly from the developer but from the first owner, so that may be why we have to go to the land office ourselves. The condo will actually be put under my wife's name which should have made things simple but does not appears to be the case. Will have my wife check with the JPM to see if they can help. Thanks.

[Langsuan Man]

Don't see why you can't give your wife a "limited power of attorney" to sign for you but like you said, it should be simple, but Thailand is the hub of complications and mis information

[guru]

My wife bought a condo and I had to attend the land office in person to sign with her. They told me it was mandatory.

[KittenKong]

Situation might be different. It's a new condo but we are not buying directly from the developer but from the first owner, so that may be why we have to go to the land office ourselves. The condo will actually be put under my wife's name which should have made things simple but does not appears to be the case. Will have my wife check with the JPM to see if they can help. Thanks.

They probably want you to sign a document certifying that you did not give her the money and that you have no claim on the property at all. You should be able to give power of attorney to someone for this.

But the JPM of a building would be the very last person I would trust. Get someone who is totally unrelated to the building, the management or the developer.

[Delight]

But the JPM of a building would be the very last person I would trust. Get someone who is totally unrelated to the building, the management or the developer.

I am curious to know the reasons for your objections to the assistance of the JPM

He /she typically has to be involved to verify the allocation of space (Not in relation to this particular post)

But in general terms how can a JPM gain from his /her involvement.?. A very high fee perhaps?

I fail to see any 'Monkey Business' beyond the fee.

Perhaps you could explain

[KittenKong]

I am curious to know the reasons for your objections to the assistance of the JPM

He /she typically has to be involved to verify the allocation of space (Not in relation to this particular post)

But in general terms how can a JPM gain from his /her involvement.?. A very high fee perhaps?

I fail to see any 'Monkey Business' beyond the fee.

Perhaps you could explain

The only involvement that a JPM should have in a sale is to issue a letter indicating the building's farang/Thai ratio. This is the law but his presence at the LO is not required for this.

I would want to avoid having anything to do with the JPM in my building simply because I dont trust him or like him. I didnt like or trust his predecessor either. I dont trust other JPM's I have met in other buildings either. They all seem to be involved in various crooked deals and the further away from them I can stay, the better. I would have no difficulty finding honest people totally unconnected to my building who would be happy to do it for free, so why look further?

[smutcakes]

I dont see how the JPM would profit from this, a sale between 2 individuals would only require the JPM to sign a debt free cert, other than that they would not be involved.

[monjan]

Thanks to those who replied. Seems the agent was able to find a way where I do not have to attend in person. Not exactly sure how it's being done but it appears no 'greasing' has been asked for, which is a pleasant surprise....