UAE legal Q&As: Will I get my money back from serial rental offender?

One person looks to retrieve money lost in a housing scam, while another asks whether he is liable for his dead father's debt.

Q: I was cheated out of Dh36,000 in a housing scam in October 2013. I rented a one-bedroom unit in a villa on Muroor Street but it turned out that the local Abu Dhabi man who I had rented from was not the owner and the documents he gave me for the villa were false. I fought court cases and won, with the man serving jail time for the criminal offence. The Civil Court ruled he has to pay me Dh39,997, including legal expenses. However, by the time the civil case ruling came, the man had served his sentence in the criminal case and was out of jail. The police later told me that he is a serial offender and they are looking for him again in relation to another case. The ruling ordered the Central Bank in April last year to freeze his bank accounts and also to auction off his cars and deposit the amount recovered with the court, so I could be paid. However, until now, nothing has been recovered from him. What should I do now? Will I ever get my hard-earned money back?

A: Regaining money from criminals can be a long and drawn-out process as they will often try everything to avoid paying out or having their assets seized. However, the law is on your side and you will eventually get your money back. You should follow up with the judge overlooking the execution of verdicts. He is authorised to contact all related institutions and bodies to have the sentence executed and the money collected through confiscation of the man’s assets and selling them at auction. If the man does not comply with the court’s orders, his name will be on travel ban lists at all entry and exit points in the country and will be arrested when he tries to leave. It’s just a matter of time before he is caught and your money is returned.

Q: My father recently died and at the time of his death, he was a visitor in Dubai. He had some credit card debts in the UAE from when he was a resident of Dubai. What is the procedure in such a situation? Do I need to tell the bank about his passing and is his family liable for the debt? He had no will and no estate in the UAE.

A: Unfortunately, yes, his family is liable for the debt and you should contact the bank to tell it of your father’s passing. It is then up to you and the bank to reach agreement on how the debt is repaid. If your father owned any assets, regardless of whether he left a will or not, the assets can be sold in an auction if the bank files a case against you.

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