By Wendy Williams
AN expat is warning buyers to beware of a property company he claims has kept thousands of euros in deposits.
Currency broker Hassan Amundsen, 42, claims he was defrauded by Property-4Abroad out of €3,000 after he tried to buy an apartment in Manilva.
“Basically the company just keeps the deposits and fees for property purchases that never get off the ground,” claimed the father-of-two from Norway.
“I paid a deposit of €3,000 for an apartment in 2009. The mortgage was meant to be pre-approved and should only take a month but after a year still nothing happened.
“Eventually the company stopped answering my calls and emails and I still haven’t been able to get my deposit back.
“Once in a while I get a reply from someone promising to pay me back and blaming other people but it always comes to nothing,” he said.
“I eventually did a search on the internet and there are others who also claim to have lost out as well, some for a lot more money than me.”
He continued: “I contacted a lawyer who said it would be easier if there was a group of people to make a joint complaint and I have been trying to contact others in my situation.
“I just want to stop them from doing this and warn people.”
But when the Olive Press contacted Anne Williams and Steve Lee, who own the business, the couple denied the accusations.
Claiming they are acting in an ‘honourable’ way, they insist they have begun to pay Amundsen back, as well as various others.
“The developer for Hassan’s property went bust and the property was sold off to first one developer and then another,” explained Lee.
“The company, Property-4abroad, has not traded for a long time and went into liquidation for a whole number of reasons including the theft of money by a lawyer.
“I spoke with my lawyer some time ago and I told him that if anyone was owed money I would personally pay it back.
“Hassan and I agreed a repayment schedule last month and he has already had the first payment.
“Far from trying to run away I have been acting in an honourable
way,” he added.
Amundsen however, is adamant that he has not received any money.
“We have had these agreements plenty of times before without getting anything.
“In fact I have 455 mails from them claiming that my money is safe and that I will be paid back in full. I doubt that now.”
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There are at least 50 people on various forums that are owed money. I have has hundreds of promises but no refund. I paid 3000 deposit on a property. After months of no progress I called the community who told me that their relative ad purchased the very same apartment I was purchasing 6 months before. Despite this try we’re still telling me the mortgage was bring processed.
They are very nice people on the surface but I guess they do whatever they can to air. Living. Unfortunately this includes taking other people’s hard earned money with their ales promises.
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There still ripping people off in magna Manilva they owe thousands to a lot of people and are getting away with it. They are not just stealing deposits furniture, satellite dishes, gate fobs and are telling the owners the tenants have taken them and they need to replace them for the new tenants going in to the property. I am an owner of a property in magna Manilva and have experienced the lies and bullshit from Annie and Steve and been ripped off several times. They need to be stopped because as long as they are getting away with it they will continue. They are still in duqesa but can’t get into magna as the security gates have been changed but are still ripping owners off and tenants.
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I am interested to know more. I have a property there and they contacted me.