Want to buy an apartment or a house, invest in housing at the construction stage, make an exchange or rent an expensive office? Before handing over money, check the property’s legal status. We will find out whether the owner’s documents are in order, whether the property is mortgaged to a bank, and whether there is any other hidden history behind it.
Why Real Estate Deals Are Risky
Scams involving the sale of apartments, houses, offices and land are a problem not only in Russia. The deals are expensive, there are many legal subtleties, and fraudsters who work with uninformed people have plenty of loopholes. The most common schemes:
- property that is mortgaged to a bank or under seizure is sold;
- the real owner does not know about the sale or is against it;
- a developer invites you to invest in building a house, but legally does not exist or has problems with the law.
Checking a property’s legal status is an essential step before buying or renting. In practice, however, many people buying a resale apartment take a standard form from the internet and take on faith the clause saying the property is not mortgaged or seized.
A property’s legal status should never be taken on faith — it must be checked.
Signs of a Dubious Deal
Be on your guard if:
- the price is well below market, and the seller is rushing the deal;
- the apartment is being sold under a power of attorney, and the owner never appears;
- the property has changed owners several times in a short period;
- the seller shows only copies of the documents.
None of these signs on its own means fraud. But together they are a reason to check the deal before handing over money.
What We Check
Our detectives will:
- check the seller of the property or the developer;
- examine the owner’s documents;
- assemble the documents needed for a lawful deal;
- accompany the negotiations and the signing.
Car Checks
Before you buy a car, we will find out its history, check its documents for forgery, establish the real owner and find out whether it has been stolen or is wanted. When you buy a car in Moscow, a detective can come to the inspection and the negotiations in person, so that both your money and you yourself are safe.
A standard check takes one to three days; a more in-depth one takes as long as we agree separately. We guarantee the accuracy of the information — and protect you from surprises that would otherwise surface only after the deal.