Missing property agent Al Safi Real Estate Dubai

http://www.xpress4me.com/news/uae/dubai/20012094.html

A Dutch-Eritrean couple who moved to the UAE to escape the risk of attacks on foreigners in Saudi Arabia now fears losing an investment of over Dh180,000 in a Dubai real estate project.

Dutch telecom executive Edgar Schurman and his Eritrean wife Yordanos Abreha used to live in one of the many gated communities for expatriates employed by international companies in Riyadh.

Starting anew

In Dubai, the couple booked a plot for a shop inside the proposed Elements project in Jumeirah Village in December 2007. “As my wife wanted to set up a beauty salon, we thought it’d be a good idea to buy instead of leasing against rising rents.”

But after they had paid Dh182,000 in booking fees, sales commissions and down payments, the plot seller, Al Safi Real Estate, sent a letter to the couple in December 2008 stating that the entire project had been cancelled by developer Ali Moosa & Sons. The letter promised a full refund by February 2009.

“They didn’t respond, so we had to visit them [Al Safi],” Schurman said. “But the office seemed to be closed.

“I verified that a few days later – power was cut, and the office was deserted. “On one of our last visits, they had said they needed three months to pay us in February – it looks as if they needed three months to pack their stuff.” When XPRESS visited the Al Safi office at the Grosvenor House Commercial Tower on Shaikh Zayed Road, the front door was locked while the door bell was not working.

No one picked up the phone on the other two listed numbers, despite several calls made over many days. And many of the mobile numbers of Al Safi agents – listed in e-mails to investors that were forwarded to XPRESS – are also not working.

Not just that, even the website listed on the voucher – www.dip4u.com – remains blank.

XPRESS had reported in November 2008 that many Elements investors were scrambling for refunds after project delays and reports of cancellations rocked the proposed residential towers – no construction work had begun, even though sales agent Aspire started taking payments in April 2007.

Ali Moosa & Sons had not responded to a request for comments on the Elements issue.