I found this topic on the Internet but it was originally in Bulgarian but you can make it out so have a read its really interesting

Why England do not buy properties in Bulgaria

In most cases, foreign property owners have themselves to blame for lost money

The first reason is the crisis. The second is that Bulgaria went bad name as a place where British and Irish people are scammed. In forums and in the Western press circulated to the complaints of people who lost money in the country. Such stories as "
horror stories"
. In details not vnikva and that buyers are innocent victims, it seems obvious, because our country is known for corruption and iniquity.

Causes

But I already four years working on these same Englishmen and not see it that way. It is true that Bulgaria is corrupt, but the reasons for lost investments are in themselves buyers. Recently, consult one of them what his views are to regain the one hundred and fifty thousand euro. My conclusion was that they had none. Having heard this, he said literally the following: "
Bulgarian legislation is bad, because it protects buyers by themselves."
A similar idea is in sharp conflict with the Roman maxim that the law is sighted, and not sleeping. In other words, if the buyer is not vigilant, is his own fault that he lost money. And these are the same Romans, whose successors in law are both we and the British.
This man had done anything reckless. Had given a proxy to a stranger to pull its deposits from fully and to spend the money as it sees fit. And not only was not considered any collateral, but even contract was not concluded. He was very surprised when he explained that the attorney only grants rights but does not create obligations. So this same Englishman I find no fault in their actions and was convinced that the reason we lost money in Bulgaria.
Another was convinced that he has bought a house and when he realized that it would receive non-built space, wanted to sue the seller. The contract, however, who stood in his signature, was clearly written that only purchased the land, not building. And that contract was written in their native language, but apparently this guy was not bothered to read it.
One woman complained for months on the forums about what a terrible place is Bulgaria, contacted me to advise her how to return the money. After I read the contract which it was concluded, and found no wrongdoing. It happened precisely what was written in black and white.

Mentality

Westerners come from a different world where everything is settled, calm and where the government protect them from dangers such as small children. Once you give money, it is understood that they will receive what is given them. When people buy apartments there, they worry whether they will be not deceived, but what will be the color of bathroom tiles. You can not lose them, for them is so obvious that they never think about the issue of preventive measures. In Bulgaria, these people are like farm animals removed from farm and thrown into the jungle. They are not accustomed to looking and when they hit just can not understand where they come.

Agents

To this should be added that the West people do not do everything yourself and pay for professionals from the field to do the job. In these real estate professionals are called "
agents"
, so their first job, when they decide to buy in Bulgaria is to raise that term in the search engine together with the name of our country. Immediately leaving many companies are called "
agents"
. They can not imagine a world without such people and I see a familiar word, decide they have found what they want. Their assumption that there are agents in Bulgaria is confirmed. If it does not like to go deep into details and explore how it actually is the issue. Prefer to view color pictures instead of reading thick books. Once something confirmed their expectations, you can not help but be so! English in Bulgaria come to buy property with the mood of tourists who are seated to order in a restaurant rather than serious investors. So they expect the menu instead of the book's instructions.

Differences

Under the Commercial Code, however, the country has firms, not agents. The difference is substantial. The mediator does not represent the parties and shall not be liable if one has not fulfilled its obligations to the other. The mediator only them "
svatosva. The deal is between the buyer and seller of the property. He takes money from both sides and thus protect the interest of neither one nor the other. In England, the agent is paid only on one side and he is responsible if its too expensive to sell property or if it lost money in other ways. Therefore, Westerners who have found the Internet entrepreneur who calls himself "
agent"
are left trustingly in his hands. For them, the story ends. They pay him and therefore no need to think about anything.
Englishmen go even further in its stupidity. They rely on the firm erroneously called "
agent"
to them and choose a lawyer. So instead of an independent and competent counsel, they appear to be the most illiterate lawyer who in some cases not even a lawyer. But even is it necessarily loyal to the firm which he found a job, not the client who is. Customers are changing, the firm remains. Customer is a fee, the firm - many fees. Therefore, those dependent on lawyers do what they want the mediator. Collateral no avail, and contracts are concluded in the most rapid and easy manner, which in turn means that the shuffle.

Be interested to know who wrote this. Realise some of translation a bit off but still.....all the British and Irish fault that they were ripped off.....that they encountered crap builders that even with a proper contract would take money and not do job properly, or who invested in developments with all proper legal paperwork in place only for developer to run off with the millions and not build place, to buy into a development that appeared to have proper planning but then change of mayor, bribes no longer valid and so no planning.....

Sure there were some very naive people who did not do their home work, bought into the hype, learnt their lesson, but there were many others who were completed scammed.

thetravelbug wrote:

Be interested to know who wrote this. Realise some of translation a bit off but still.....all the British and Irish fault that they were ripped off.....that they encountered crap builders that even with a proper contract would take money and not do job properly, or who invested in developments with all proper legal paperwork in place only for developer to run off with the millions and not build place, to buy into a development that appeared to have proper planning but then change of mayor, bribes no longer valid and so no planning.....

Sure there were some very naive people who did not do their home work, bought into the hype, learnt their lesson, but there were many others who were completed scammed.

It's true that a lot of people simply did not pay any attention to or even read their contracts. However, apart from developers manipulating things after the fact, there were a lot of unscrupulous individuals using entirely fake documents at the outset. Due diligence would only partly work in combatting this sort of crime.

Travelbug I found this article in Pari.bg, I have just been looking again to try and find the author but I can't see it now sorry

coriolanus wrote:

It's true that a lot of people simply did not pay any attention to or even read their contracts. However, apart from developers manipulating things after the fact, there were a lot of unscrupulous individuals using entirely fake documents at the outset. Due diligence would only partly work in combatting this sort of crime.

Very true coriolanus - we have had the same situation here in Altinkum, Turkey, this is partly the reason for many Brits now coming to BG. Altinkum has become notorious for rip offs and given Turkey bad press in the UK, millions of pounds have been lost here by retired Brits who have nothing left of their savings. Deeds of properties have not been produced to the purchasers and many deeds will never see the light of day. There are corrupt estate agents, solicitors, sellers and the judicial system is also suspect in many ways. The sad part about it is that the Brits were not ready for it all and were not prepared for it either, solicitors in the UK do everything for the buyers and there is never any question of not having the deeds of the property you are purchasing. Unfortunately Brits buying here thought that employing a solicitor to do all the legal work would be safe for them, this is the biggest problem for anyone buying because solicitors here do very little towards the legal paperwork.

Many purchasers have asked their solicitor for the deeds after paying all their money over and been told that he had no idea where the deeds were, lovely . . . "
welcome to Turkey"
. Many have complained that the British Consulates here are useless and never up to date with what is happening to their own nationals in Turkey. One of the few advantages for Brits moving from Turkey to BG is that they are now "
street wise"
, they should know all the scams coming towards them from a mile off, if not, it is possible that they will go through the same scenario all over again!!!

Basically Brits must understand that other countries are not like Britain. People who have had experience of living abroad are much more streetwise and have a big advantage.

True, but you can do all your home work, insist on proper contracts, get recommendations, see past work, visit developments......and still get conned.

I would agree that is doesn't matter how much you do to try and ensure your not going to get scammed it can still happen unlike the uk there really isn't any protection and we all know that during the boom time we suddenly seen a growth in the number or REA's that sprouted up in Bulgaria none of them with any notable qualifications unless you call a plumbers cert a qualification for and Rea ? I don't know what the answer is but I tend to rely on gut feeling and instinct

I loved the write up... :-)

Yes, I know there are those that have ticked all the right boxes and still be stung.. this also happens in the UK. Just as its states in UK law. "
Ignorance is NO excuse"
, so if your not going to read the manual and pay good money up front for independent people, be it lawyer, or interpreter then you take a great chance.

I think my only gripe would be that it should have been more transparent to all buyers that there is NO 100% guarantee under Bulgarian law that someone from anywhere could and can lay a past claim on your property if they have a inherited right, that they have not signed away, that even after 7 years someone (they'd be nuts), but they can still drag you into court and lay a claim on your property. (having a clause in your contract with the seller doesn't cover you). The only way I managed to abate my own fears of this, was to lay it all on my lawyer, (this made him sure of doing his job well and we signed to his full obligation), this is standard practice in the UK, but not here, yet that is only to due diligence and is still not 100% safe.

Yet, surely those of us that have chosen to come here should have done so understanding that the move from Russian occupation to European (err occupation........ ) would take time and be at times a bumpy ride, not just for us, but for the Bulgarians too. A lot of British have had it way to easy living in a country where there is a law for everything,, and I agree with one post that says that life here has and is probably easier for us that have already lived in other countries as we learnt before coming here how cosseted the UK truly is..

Excelent post seven and put very well

Hi All,

I think that British realized that Bulgaria is nota safe country. You can be lied here with everything - brokers, developers, lawyers.

Bulgaria Lawyer

I think you do have a point here but I don't believe that all of Bulgaria is unsafe and its not always the Bulgarians that can't be trusted? believe me there are a large number of Brits too who can not be trusted maybe more than the Bulgarians ?

BulgariaLawyer wrote:

Hi All,

I think that British realized that Bulgaria is nota safe country. You can be lied here with everything - brokers, developers, lawyers.

Bulgaria Lawyer

.Oh so very true.....

Most of these comments are true but lets not tar Bulgaria as the only country in the world that isn't safe and then you must ask yourself of all the people who have been stung can you blame only the perpetrator? and the answer isn't always yes as said by Jane its not just the Bulgarians the Brits have also played a part in the corruption and in some ways have escalated it with their devious knowledge of how Brits think and operate .

sarah

thetravelbug wrote:

True, but you can do all your home work, insist on proper contracts, get recommendations, see past work, visit developments......and still get conned.

Your post on this topic is the truest words spoken/written on this or any other forum. YES you can still get conned, big style