From: Consularsection.Sofia@fco.gov.uk
Subject:
To:
Date: Wednesday, 12 August, 2009,
Dear
Thank you for your email and the correspondence you have copied to us. We are sorry to hear about the difficulties you and others have been experiencing in Bulgaria.
In April our Ambassador in Sofia met with the Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister to emphasise the need to raise standards and tighten controls in the real estate sector. The Ambassador sought assurances that the problems encountered by British nationals purchasing property in Bulgaria would be taken seriously at government level.
The Deputy Foreign Minister recognised that these property issues risked tarnishing Bulgaria’s image in the UK, with wider implications for tourism. He acknowledged that the lack of an organisation with overall lead responsibility was a weakness. He said he took our concerns seriously and committed to arrange a meeting with relevant organisations, such as the State Tourism Agency, Bar Association, Ombudsman, Prosecutor’s Office, Real Estate Association, Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works and municipalities, to see how best to take this forward. He undertook to keep us informed of developments.
We hope that our efforts – and the stated commitment of the Bulgarian government – will help to raise regulatory and professional standards in the Bulgarian real estate sector. But we appreciate that this is a long term process which will not help resolve current individual cases like yours. We are afraid that the UK government cannot intervene in legal proceedings within a fellow EU member state; nor can we become involved in steps to recover any capital outlay in respect of individual property deals that have gone wrong.
Following elections at the beginning of July a new Bulgarian government was sworn in on 27 July. Our Embassy will be following up on the matter with Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bulgaria and will raise these issues with the new Ministers at an early opportunity.
Should you feel that you have been the victim of suspected fraud at the hands of a Bulgarian individual or company then the Bulgarian authorities must be in receipt of an official complaint and any evidence held by the complainant. If an individual believes a criminal act has taken place it should be reported to the Bulgarian police, whether in the region the alleged crime took place or centrally in Sofia, for further investigation. Alternatively, a report can be made of an alleged crime to a police force in the United Kingdom, providing any evidence you may have, and requesting that the Bulgarian individual or company involved are also investigated through international channels.
It should be recognised that criminal proceedings are completely separate from any civil proceedings an individual may wish to bring against an alleged fraudster in order to recover his or her money. As in the UK, a successful criminal conviction against a fraudster does not of itself result in the victim of the fraud getting his or her money back. Furthermore, it should be noted that the outcome of a criminal case does not inevitably influence the civil case. As I am sure you are aware, any civil proceedings would have to be funded by the individual and would incur costs of a qualified, independent, lawyer.
As we have stated previously we are not legally trained professionals and cannot offer such advice. Should you wish to engage the services of a lawyer, please follow the link to find a list of English-speaking lawyers in Bulgaria published on our website Please note the disclaimer.
If you contact any of the lawyers listed or use their services, we would be grateful if you complete the attached Feedback form and return it to us.
We understand you are aware of the existence of the Bulgarian Property Action Group who are actively developing a membership of persons with property issues in Bulgaria with a view to taking appropriate action collectively.
We hope you find this information useful.
Kind Regards
Consular Section
Consular Section | British Embassy Sofia | 9 Moskovska Str | Sofia | Bulgaria
* Email: consularsection.sofia@fco.gov.uk
(Telephone: +359 (2) 933 9236 (Fax: +359 (2) 933 9263
URL: www.ukinbulgaria.fco.gov.uk Visit our blogs at http://blogs.fco.gov.uk
We hope all British Nationals in Bulgaria will register with us. Whether visiting or resident in Bulgaria you can do so using the same on-line system found at: https://www.locate.fco.gov.uk/locateportal/ |
