mytriumph

Perhaps the Minister of Asia could provide a list of reputable lawyers who could give the requisite information when purchasing property here.

It has obviously gone over his head or he has chosen to ignore one simple point, virtually all British nationals have gone the legal route when buying homes.

The lawyers in Goa, together with the local government, simply view this purchasing process as a way to acquire wealth by doing bugg**all.

Return of Santan

The last list that the F.O provided did not contain 1 solitary lawyer from Goa !
Although Lord Malloch Brown should be applauded for his efforts the last letter contained nothing new, I really believe they simply do NOT understand the situation

K-C

poppetjay

Ive just visited New Zealand and friends have told me there was a documentary on Goa and the property issue, the programme stated that the " British are no longer welcome in Goa"!!!!!! i wish someone had taped it for me, so it is getting media attention negative or postive.

wheatsheaf

THE GREAT GOA PONZI RIPOFF. Isnt that what's happened here: money taken with seemingly legal contracts and promises of good investment returns on ownership. Turns out it is all "air" with hundreds of people holding worthless pieces of paper!!!. The late Ponzi has nothing on this lot. And to be sure, regulations arent applied. professional legal advisers, officials and others involved are dancing a fine jig.

noni

Foreigners in Goa thanks to Goan Voice
20 Jul: Navhind Times. … according to the Reserve Bank of India guidelines, foreigners can acquire immovable property in India … If the reports are to be believed nearly around 5,000 units of property have been sold to foreign buyers since the FEMA 1999 came into force… The government should frame proper rules to make sure that no more dubious land sales take place but at the same time take care of the legal buyers and at least provide them a safe passage… 640 words. http://www.navhindtimes.in/opinions/...eigners-in-goa

erinsgirl

Having noted that the response to our petition was the usual, predictable "we can't get involved in individual cases nor in internal matters relating to another country " I believe we could try another theme. Namely to petition our MP's and the Uk government to seek a process of a reciprocal agreement with India for Uk citizens wishing to purchase property in India. By this I mean the following: there is an exisitng agreement already in place in terms of income tax. A UK citizen can if they wish cease paying income tax in the UK and under a reciprocal agreement with India opt to pay tax in India. I personally have the documents for this ( not that I pursued this option myself but I did give it some thought in my early "honeymoon" days in Goa).

So my suggestion is the following: why could we not make a case for the Uk government to pursue a reciprocal arrangement with India relating to purchase of property. The basis of the argument would be: Goan and Indian nationals can come to the Uk and purchase property. Our government should seek that the same reciproal process be made available to Uk citizens in India.

This might need another petition and all of us could write to our MP's asking them to investigate this and raise with the appropriate department.. I am not sure which government department would be responsible for this process. The Foreign Office? maybe one of you out there would know the answer. If such agreements can be done for matters of income tax then why not for property. It would mean they could not give us the usual flannel about not involving themselves in the internal business of another country. there is already a precedent: an income tax agreement.

I think this is worth a try and will be writing to my MP in the coming days on this subject. All I know is that we cannot give up. We must keep the media profile on this.

hemingway

The response that was 'received' during the most recent petition was not a response to the most recent petition. It was a response to a petition started by 'Geoffrey Pond' in late 2008 (I think). It was just a 'strange coincedence' that the response came out 'during' the most recent petition.

Regards

Hemingway

P.S. - I'm all for the reciprocal arrangement that you mention - I've said so before, but as to how to make it happen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Goacrazy56

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/property/...#ixzz0M77fUCHO


:thumbdown

jose1

Quick, get your advert in that paper.

poppetjay

the question still remains to be answered can Brits buy????????????

jose1

Not if Brits can buy its ALL the Fns. Confiscations ARE now under way,Parra house owned by Belgiums had police visit with RBI officials plus others.

poppetjay

so what reasons are they giving for the visits, they dont even reply to letters or respond to any phone calls, our visit to D of E was over a year ago and we havent heard a thing since.
I for one would demolis my place before they got their hands on it

erinsgirl

I think the answer is that if anything would be about to be confiscated then before that would happen then I would make sure the property would be demolished in totality, whether by fire or simply by smashing up. I know that personlly that is what I would do. I would smash, wreck and render the place totally into a slum before I would let it go. ( Even then it would still probably look better than the slums my Goan neighbours live in because they know no better). All the granite, all the marble, tiles etc, all the bathroom and kitchen fittings, all the extras that we paid so heavily for I would simply demolish, even if I had to go at it with a pickaxe. At the end of the day I paid for all of them and so in my view they are mine to destroy.. And destroy is what I would do. Any Indian would be then welcome to buy or take the shell that is left. that is all it would be, a burntout and demolished shell. Of course they would probably not notice the difference since that is what most of them are used to. I see the shambles and mess that they live in daily on my compound and so I know they would see no difference. Give them a hundred years of civilisation and perhaps they would appreciate what is around them in terms of what others have provided. on site. They are never the ones concerned with cleanliness, tidyness and keeping things shipshape or puting their hands in their pockets to pay for it. It is probably no different than if we were all transported back to medieval England to see what people accepted then as the norm. 1350 or thereabouts. I don't blame these people, How can you? I don't call them third world, I think it is more like fifth world They are simply backward and know no better. They are no different to the serfs and vassails in medieval England who were subject to their lords and masters. What does amuse me though is to see the pretensions of a country where the likes of Hilary Clinton comes to visit and has discussions about for example education and nuclear power and Indian being a world partner. I do sometime wonder what planet she is on or they are on to be more specfic. However given that my great grandfather was a US citizen and Mayor of New York, perhaps a few letters to her about the delusions of this place might well be worth the while. She is all for Human Rights. Perhaps a few comments about the racism directed towards the British/Irish/ Europeans might prove worthwhile bedtime reading for her. That is a theme close to the US heart ( and pocket).

Having given some thougth to this specific problem of Goa it is true that of course when the Potgugues left in 61 they abondoned all their properties to the locals and it could well be that the locals Goans are mistaken in believing that we British would do the same and simpy exit the country leaving all intact for them to pick up for free. Especially given that they have put most British owners here under such pressure and threat that that is exactly what is happening with people selling up and being desperate to go at any cost. ( Foolish on the part of the Brits to say the least but understandable given the past history) It is this that possibly gives the Goans the mistaken impression that all drops from heaven into their laps without any effort on their part !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( No wonder they are so bloody lazy, they have never struggled their guts out to buy a property and keep it, they must inherit it, go to court about it or wait for some intruder in their view to quit the country and hand it over to them ) For them that would be a second bonanza in their hopes and prayers. Litttle do they understand the British mentality and probably equate the British with the Portuguese whom they may mistakenly see as being equal partners in the Eurpopean community simply because we are all members. A little education needed here.. Sad that they do not understand how low the Portugues rank in the overall scheme of things within the EC. They are almost at the bottom of the ladder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in terms of power and influence. All they get are financial handouts from the rest of us ( along with Ireland and I hate to say that being Irish but it is true). Probably fairly high in terms of getting grants and subsidies though. That is something the Goans could identlify with of course since that is all they know. When I write of the EC I do not include the recently joined countries since they are something apart. As far as Portugal is concened they are low level players who do not figure on the world stage about anything. Not defence. global warming, scientific advances, etc etc. Farming, wine and tourism is their lot, not much else. No problem with this as long as they do not for one moment fall into the trap of believing they are in the big league of nations. Not sure that Fado counts in worldwide influence ( even though I happen to enjoy it). In fact . if truth be known, when you consider it all, it's not that far removed from being like the Goans. If you really consider it that is what they are. An impoverished and backward state with little resources except in iron ore and tourism and cascino boats with an infrastructure that would have been considered advanced a century ago.

My final comment is to suggest that they simply consider the british bulldog nature which does not give up and will not give up without fight. It may be that I do indeed have to end up going and leaving all ( God forbid but it may be so ). What I leave behind will not be worth having, What I do with the rest of my life will be to devote all my remaing time and energy ( which will not be that long as I am a pensioner) to highlight the racism, injustice and double dealing which I have experienced here. Whether that is by way of TV documentary. consumer affairs. writing a book or giving lectures I do not yet know. I am an adept writer and an excellent conference speaker so both of these paths are open to me. I am not one of the so called " riff raff " social benefits scroungers tourists that the Goans wish to delude themselves live here. I am a graduate, well educated with plenty of money and a lifetime of experience of overseas living all over the world and so I have resolved to puruse whatever I believe to be the best path in order to extract my revenge. Whichever it is, I can assure you I will also do my level best to ensure that whilst pursuing this most legitimate course of action I will lose no sleep should it negatively impact on the image which Goa wishes to portray as a tourism destination ( not of course that they are interested in foreign tourists, only local tourists I understand, so no problem except when the expenditure levels sink below recognition which I am sure it will in the very near future). I am not even sure it will make any difference here but it will make a difference to me and rectify the inbalance of injustice which burns in my soul and which cries out for justice.

Return of Santan

Morning all,

The Mail was contacted yesterday and duly BOLLOCKED

The features editor apologised for the report

I have sent a precis of the situation to her, please PM me for further info

K-C

jose1

Yes Erinsgirl they are primative