Originally Posted by More

emy I cant remember who told us. I think it was the advocate. My situation is that I am a FN and bought on a 5 year x visa. We have got the sale deeds etc but the visa is coming up for renewal so thats where the problems will start. It is very unsettling. We have a place in Goa.

Originally Posted by More

emy I cant remember who told us. I think it was the advocate. My situation is that I am a FN and bought on a 5 year x visa. We have got the sale deeds etc but the visa is coming up for renewal so thats where the problems will start. It is very unsettling. We have a place in Goa.

Originally Posted by noni

Hi More,
Like you our 5 year visa has just run out - we went to the HCI London with all our Sale Deeds, Bank Statements etc. etc. but were only given a 2 year visa. We were lucky people now are, queuing for hours and getting one year visa.

Anyway as you will have read we are being investigate by the Directorate of Enforcement - although we have done nothing wrong - well not at the time of purchase, nor when registered.

Have you retired to Goa?

Please look at Alabamagoa thread www.indiamike.com/india part 2 seems things can get worse, and more running around for the beaurocrats :curse::curse:

Originally Posted by Remy-Ireland

Hi More,

As you already know, you will probably end up with a 1 year T Visa with the 180day max stay restriction.

Have you ever had a letter from the Directorate of Enforcement regarding being investigated for possible breach of FEMA?
Just wondering as a few members of BE who are in the same predicament as yourself have got these letters.

If its any consulation there are many many FNs in the same situation as yourself, hopefully the Goan government will eventually come to some sort of compromise. Like you say,"It is very unsettling".

Let us know how you get on with your visa renewal.
Will you be in Goa for the Christmas Bash?

Kind Regards,
Remy

Originally Posted by More

Hi Remy, No I have not had THE letter, but I know of three people who have. Two of them got their advocate to deal with it and have not heard anymore and one has had to go to Bombay. I dont know yet haw he got on. What happens if they give a T visa? That means you lose residency and not entitled to own a property!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by TONY P

Hi Robin
Firstly welcome to the forum, to address your query about a lifetime tenancy I have to ask why you would want to buy a property in someone elses name and then arrange a lease for your lifetime at the end of which the property passes back to the owner and not on to your family. Why not just rent/lease a property for 5 years at a time, let your own money work earning you interest and if you get fed up with the property you could move on to a new one and still have your capital, earning you money.
Remember you can't lease for more than 5 years at a time if you are not a resident.
I feel that it is best NOT to look for a way round the system but try and get the most out of the system by using it to your advantage.
Regards
Tony P

Originally Posted by Remy-Ireland

Hi RobinDog,

A very warm welcome to the forum.
OMG yous are coming in thick and fast today.

Your friends were indeed very very lucky to obtain a two year visa even though it still has the '180 day max stay' restriction on it.

The x-visa is virtually now non existent and the old 5 year x all but a distant dream. A 1 year tourist visa with the 180 day max stay seems to be the norm now, for the lucky ones.

The thing is, what happens if and when they restrict the visa further or replace the current standard 6 month one with a 3 month tourist visa.

Trying to get around the legalities of buying property in Goa becomes worthless if you cannot get to it or stay in it as and when you desire.
This is why i would certainly discourage any FN from parting with good hard cold cash for property in Goa at this time.

The PIO suggestion of yours may have some merit but having a lifelong tenancy is not worth the paper its wrote on if your restricted or worst still forbidden from using the property. It could turn out to be a very expensive rental agreement me thinks.

Buying in Goa at this time, is filled with too much uncertainty. Look elsewhere or negotiate a good rental arrangement for your visits to Goa.
At this time, Be safe not Sorry.

Kind Regards,
Remy

Originally Posted by robindog

Hi Folks
I am a relative newcomer here and someone who is battling with the process's of trying to find a way around the current dilemma of buying property in Goa.
We would like to live there on a permanent basis but are very concerned about the pitfalls of buying over there.
We have a number of friends who are in various stages ofpurchase including a friend who has built tjeir own villa but still not got their place registered even though they have lived there for five years. They have recently returned to the uk to renew their visas and were told that they would only be allowed a two year visa (which they were told was exceptional) and that they would be required to leave the country every six months.
However I am going off track here.
Does anyone think that there could be a way round this situation by having a PIO or NRI buying properties over here and then selling a lifetime tenancy to uk citizens in the uk. This type of arrangement is often used by timeshare companies in this country
ANY IDEAS ANYONE??????

Originally Posted by More

Hi Remy, No I have not had THE letter, but I know of three people who have. Two of them got their advocate to deal with it and have not heard anymore and one has had to go to Bombay. I dont know yet haw he got on. What happens if they give a T visa? That means you lose residency and not entitled to own a property!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by robindog

Thanks to you all for your valuable comments. Have learnt more here in the past few hours/days than we have in the last two years.
Many of our friends in Goa who have already bought property are going to be very frustrated and annoyed

Originally Posted by Remy-Ireland

Hi Robindog,

Congratulations on doing your homework.
You have had a very lucky escape and your right, a lot of people are going to be very frustated and annoyed.

I am so annoyed for them.......and then you have scrupulous property developers coming directly on to our forum telling people 'now is a good time to buy in Goa':curse::curse::curse:

Well done to the Administrator for Banning the p***k.

Regards,
Remy

Originally Posted by TONY P

Hi Remy I think you might mean UNscrupulous.
Personally I think that a bit of panic is setting in, where are all those rich out of state Indians that were supposed to fill the shoes of the gullible FNs.
TP

Originally Posted by noni

He is very excitable to-day - think he needs a holiday.
You are right, there are a few Estate Agents/Developers coming on here in disguise. You see all these new developements going up, there will be no FN's to purchase them unless things change.

Noni

Originally Posted by TONY P

Hi Noni
Like the new avatar. Yes our Remy does seem a bit upset today, is there a shortage of Noff?
Tony

Originally Posted by noni

He is very excitable to-day - think he needs a holiday.
You are right, there are a few Estate Agents/Developers coming on here in disguise. You see all these new developements going up, there will be no FN's to purchase them unless things change.

Noni

p.s. what do you think of 723 above.