Re: Acron Homes
 

Hi Cornishboy,

I felt you were well down the road to understanding the situation in Goa, but you seem to have regressed today. What makes you think that you will ever be allowed to do your 183 days?

Your developer cannot protect you from the fact that the authorities clearly do not want foreign nationals living in their country or owning property and if your developer is managing to convince you otherwise out of self interest they are highly irresponsible.

Im not an expert on Goa, but ive been there , lived the dream, seen the darker side of Goa and been thrown out. Please learn from my experience and that of others.

If you dont get the message the easy way either the authorities or the local people may well take further action to remove you! Why do wish to take such a risk?

Re: Acron Homes
 

Hi Douglas,
No I must admit I haven't seen the darker side of Goa nor have I lived there for any great length of time.
I can certainly understand there being a lot of resentment about incomers coming in and buying land and property, we have the same in Cornwall.
But as I understand it, the current clamp down seems to aimed at people who are trying to bye pass the exsisiting rules and on finding out just who has broken the rules.
I don't know the facts of your depature from Goa but as yet I haven't heard of anyone from any Acron developements being forced to leave, again I might be proved wrong.

Re: Acron Homes
 

Hi all,

Just to add some weight to my last post, ive now got a house in Goa that i currently cant sell, cant live in and cant gain access to my personal possessions. Thats the real Goa as it is today for a brit foreign national, not some cosy, whacky, shacky marketing mans image.

( i wouldnt even try and re - export my furniture and personal posessions as i had a nightmare experience bringing them in from uk, i also have some other furniture that is antique goan which is difficult to export!)

Im not on this site out of self interest, it costs me time and energy to be here for little return. I am genuinely trying to create awareness and prevent other brits from making the same mistakes.

Re: Acron Homes
 

Hi again Cornishboy.

Thank you for your response to my earlier post.

There is alt of misinformation out there, like this is a local issue that will go away after the elections. Like developer A recommends the company route, so they rubbish the lease purchase route and developer B recommends the lease purchase route so they rubbish the company route.

Its not a question of methodology, nor is it a local issue. Yes, as i understand it they are investigating all purchase by foreign nationals that took place over the last three years ( almost certainly including some Acron clients)

In addition and more importantly, they are not issuing further visas with durations in excess of 180 days and they are not renewing existing visas with longer durations, (yours truly included) specifically to prevent foreign nationals from complying with FEMA and so deny residency and prevent further purchases( throughout India).

There is no local legislation that im aware of that prevents foreign nationals from buying or living in Goa. The offices concerned in the current debacle are national ie, RBI and Home dept, the two most powerful offices in the land.

If this were a local issue as is sometimes rumored ( by those with self interest) why involve these heavyweights and why would these heavyweights become so involved in a minor local admin issue?

If you are unaware that other Akron members have been thrown out it could be for many reasons. Such as you haven't surveyed the whole membership.

In addition the timing of the brits arrival in Goa , method of purchase and registration will influence their current status and level of awareness.

If a brit arrived a few years ago before the changes in 06 they may have bought ( or think they bought) on a tourist visa. They may have signed a lease purchase agreement and decided to wait several years before, obtaining an x visa and doing their 183 days as there was an open window at that time. Alternatively they have done their 183 days , obtained an x visa, registered the property and as the visa hasnt yet expired haven't yet had notice to leave. Finally, they may be as the previous example but even further down the line in that they have had the notice to leave and not understanding the implications, come back in on a tourist visa.

If the Acron member spends most of their time in Uk and is occasionaly cocooned in an enclave they may not have observed the rise in xenophobia and resentment that took place in 06 in Goa or the changes in practices or simply they cannot comprehend their position .

Re: Acron Homes
 

Good Morning all(uk time!)...

I've decided to ask for my moneys back from Dr Britto and will be e-mailing and sending a registered letter to confirm tomorrow.

I don't believe that the situation will change for the better,having talked last night in my local to a couple who have had the same experience as Douglas in the last 12 months. Except they were only renting but had x visa,now they only have a 180 day tourist one. They had to give up a lot of their residency perks and are now looking to go elsewhere in the world.

Their feeling is that Goa has lost its special feeling now and is just a nasty,vindictive place now with the Powers-that-be hell bent on making life as miserable as possible for anyone other than a 2 week tripper...


I feel saddened by events,but life must go on and I will see how forthcoming Acron are with my refund of monies.

By the way,Ironically,you can rent a 1 BHK in an Acron site in Candolim for approx £150.00 per month !!!!

Kind Regards and have a relaxing Sunday



Keith Rogers

Re: Acron Homes
 

Hi Folks,

I have been reading this thread with very keen interest as i purchased an apartment in Goa approx 2 years ago. However I was one of the lucky ones as have a PIO Card.

I returned from Goa in February and i have to say there is a big air of panic sweeping through the ex-pats who have bought there. I was talking to one guy who bought in Villa Nina in Arpora which i believe is an acron development, he is really panicking. The realisation of what they have effectively been conned into is starting to hit home and the dream is turning into a nightmare. Under current legislation it is impossible for him and many others to own outright a property in Goa full stop.
The tightening up of the visa rules has all but destroyed anyones chance of obtaining residency.
Think about this rolling lease agreement-really just a very expensive rental agreement me thinks.

Everything that Douglas has said on this thread is 100% and i commend him for sharing his experiences and educating ex-pats about the whole process.
If i had not qualified for a PIO Card i definately would not have purchased in India.

Remember the rules on purchasing have not changed- you were never allowed to buy on a tourist visa at any time and people will inevitabley (excuse the spelling) loose their properties.

Douglas done things almost by the book and look what happened to him.
If you are not a PIO or NRI then dont buy property in Goa.
Yes rent by all means but your mad if you buy.
Best of luck whatever you decide,

Remy.

Re: Acron Homes
 

Hi Remy,

Thank you for your input, as far as im aware i complied with FEMA totaly not almost. Neither could my exclusion have been on the basis of my conduct, Im a 61 year old teetotal vegetarian with an interest in eastern philosopy, practices and culture!

I have not even been informed that my registration is being investigated to date, but i presume it will be as it falls into the stated time frame.

So I feel my situation cannot be as result of the ongoing investigation,this is a blanket exclusion of most if not all foreign national x visa renewal applicants .

Thanks again for posting, as a PIO your obviously in a better position than most of us and as such you are even more altruistic than i and other brits in donating your time.

Kind regards and good luck to you also.

Re: Acron Homes
 

Hi Douglas,

Its seems unfair that when you fully comply with FEMA they then pull the carpet from under you a little further down the line.
Have you tried any lines of appeal.
What about writing to Mr Sharma of the Indian high commission in London. Surely then can at least allow you you to off load the property somehow?
If i was in your position i would be furious and demand answers?
How do you stand legally?

Remy

Re: Acron Homes
 

Hi again Remy and thank you for the IHC idea.

Perhaps i should expand on my I cant sell statement, according to FEMA as a foreign national I cant sell under the general permission concession, as im no longer resident , but i can apply to RBI for specific permission to sell in due course.

Unfortunately, the register is blocked to foreign nationals wanting to register sales or purchases at the moment and neither has my file been cleared by the investigators as far as i know. Im also assuming that my file will be cleared and they wont fine, invalidate or confiscate as has been muted, for some offence that im unaware of.

So i intend to wait for clarification, try and find an indian resident buyer and request permision to sell from RBI. That could be a long drawn out process. (Thats asuming i survive the investigation of course.)

Regarding outrage, at the beginning of this debacle i did have my share of moral indignation, but subsequently moved through understanding, acceptance and now healing.

If you are a foreign national who is a guest in someone elses country, i feel you must accept the possibility of exclusion, the visa system cleary gives them that facility.

Having said that, i would have much preferred a timely announcement of the change in policy from the Indian authorities and some notice to enable me to put my house in order, rather than experience the covert operation that is currently underway.

I continue to believe that the main reason for their action is national security and i can see that the authorities were alarmed at the sheer numbers of foreign nationals who had bought and were registering in Goa, when this issue was raised in mid 06 by the national youth congress.

Maybe they were even more horrified, when they calculated the number of potential registrations that are in the pipeline.

History tells us that governments will do bizarre things, go to exraordinary lengths and trample over anybody in the name of national security( eg terrorists originating from Saudi, UAE, Egypt and Lebanon destroy the twin towers. So US invades a totally different country called Iraq and sets up detention camps all over the world, kills around half a million Iraquis who by way of their culture are obliged to seek revenge and then claim that they are winning the war and protecting Americans from terrorism! . Makes Indians seem logical)


What is currently unacceptable of course is that developers are still attending exhibitions and appointing agents in UK and selling 5 year leases at freehold prices to foreign nationals and calling them something else.

Rant over, kind regards.

Re: Acron Homes
 

Hi again Douglas,

I wholly admire your tolerance level and after reading your reply im confident you will be ok in due course with regards to selling your property. (Heres Hoping)

Your last paragraph is spot on.
I recently attended an oversea homes exhibition were homes in Goa were being advertised and in yesterdays daily star there was a two page colour spread on Goa part of which was dedicated to homes in goa for under 30k. Yes people are still being conned and as ignorance is no excuse your thread on Buyer Beware is more appropriate now than ever.

Yes i agree that the alarm bells were ringing in Goa when the Government seen the massive upsurge in foreigners trying to put their claim on property and you can certainly understand why they had to pull in the reigns. What i dont understand is why these property developers and their agents are getting away with this mis-representation and mis-information of facts.:sneaky:

I just hope people sit up and pay attention to this thread and others like it.:unsure:

Re: Acron Homes
 

Foreigners are the scapegoats. The big money is coming from Delhi and Mumbai.

Re: Acron Homes
 

Hi leavinggoa,

On the property price inflation front, i agree.

It would take new legislation to control domestic and pio and nri money.

Also foreign nationals dont have a vote and can be penalised without consequence.

Re: Acron Homes
 

Hi all.

I'm waitng for Dr Britto to confirm return of my monies in respect of my "flat" in Goa.

Let's see what he has to say about the current situation as he is on the gorund out there.....

I still feel it will end in tears for us foreign nationals.

Koh Samui looks very attractive,Douglas,do you have any words of wisdom for me about Thailand please ?? (You're the Guru now !! )


Kind Regards


Keith Rogers

Re: Acron Homes
 

Hello,
I have been following your discussion with great interest/distress as we also purchased an appartement at Villa Maria. We were there last week, and got very excited about the development and now feel very upset, as we were not aware of the changes in law. (Nor were we told by Acron, although we visited their offices to check tiles etc.)
Does anyone know if it is possible to transfer the lease to an Indian nationals name and in that way receive the freehold, and then transfer it back into our names again? Can this be done in any way? Are there any other options or do we have to give up on our dream of a Goan residence completely?

Best
Susanne

Re: Acron Homes
 

Hi Susanne,

Not good news im afraid.
The chances of ever obtaining residency and title deeds of your property is virtually impossible under current FEMA legislation.
What visa did you have when you 'purchased' the apartment?
If you have a PIO Card or OCI then yes you can register your property and after the required process obtain title otherwise forget about it.

The best you can hope for is a rolling lease which effectively is a property developers term for a rental agreement charged at freehold rates.:frown:

Please read earlier posts for more info and read about Douglas M experiences.

Best of Luck,
Remy