When we were there last July and August we thought we had found the building lot of our dreams. It was just down the street from Rev. Robinson's house. Like always we ran the papers by Attorney Maxino, and this is the email we got from him after we got back to Alaska. I thought that this might help some of you that are thinking of buying land there. And the seller swore up and down that this lot had a "Clean title". Hi Jim and Marlene, I evaluated the documents of the cantil-e land, and I also talked to the seller at my law office and discovered the following: 1. The title is still in the name of a dead person. The seller claims that he holds quitclaim documents from the other heirs of the deceased, but he is not sure if the proper taxes have been paid for the quitclaims and for the estate tax of the dead person. He could not present evidence of tax payments. When I asked him why he did not bother to process the title to his name, he said that it's too cumbersome and costly. I said that my client might not choose to assume the costs and the cumbersome procedure for him. 2. The title contains an unauthorized erasure. The entry on the face of the title, "married to (name)" was erased obviously an attempt to remove the name of the spouse. Although the land seems to be inherited land by the deceased titleholder and not conjugal, the erasure certainly affects the integrity of the title. the courts or the register of deeds do not blot out entries. Only the court can order any alteration of a land title by canceling the title and issuing a new, corrected one in its place. 3. The seller strikes me as a sincere man. The persons who accompanied him seemed like an unlicensed brokers, and they were the ones who sounded insistent and imposing. I hope that I have clearly explained my position. I'm sorry if this is a let-down to you, but my duties as your lawyer come first. I have explained my position too to Ped who called me just now inquiring about the land. He said that the seller is his friend. Jim and Marlene, as I have said, it is a buyer's market. It's so easy to find good buys. Let me know the preferred location. If you like cantil-e, I can ask my friends to start looking for clean titles. Sincerely, Mik He is: Mikhail L. Maxino Attorney & Counselor at Law 4TH Floor Plaza Maria Luisa Hotel Legaspi Cor Sta. Catalina Sts. Dumaguete City, 6200 Philippines +6335 422 1536
Well if what he wrote are all true, he is a good and honest attorney.Some lawyers although they knows that there are many problems on the land you are dealing will just cover up and let you continue the buying, the main he can get money. But maybe you ask permission from him if you can post his letter here. Anyway it’s not a bad one. It’s a helpful letter.
I did not get Atty. Mik's permission. But thin why would he get up set over "good advertising? I think that the only one that might be upset over this land sale not going through would be the crook trying to sell us on it and they are not named. Atty. Mik and I are not only an attorney and client. We are also friends and have been for nearly 20 years. He was the "Best Man" at Maria's and my wedding. By the way I trust this man completely.
Yep I ment he might not want to be so clear he was basicaly the one to kill the deal, it is a small town maybe he rather say you decided it was not the right deal for you. sleep well
Arie, Atty. Mik, did not kill the deal. It was the persons that were trying to sell us a building lot with a altered title and a lot of other problems. All the wile claiming that it had a "clean title". We are not the kind of buyers that knowingly buy into a lot of legal problems. It is altogether to easy to do that with out knowing that there are problems with any given real estate deal. Buyer beware!
Sounds like a really good lawyer. I have never bought land and have not gone past the looking phase in Dumaguete so my question is what papers do you ask for from the seller?
land purchase Clean Title =Title Deeds Thanks for the info Gran....will certainly consider the advice of your Att/Friend if in the future should we decide Dumaguete is the place for us regards ....john
