Real Estate Legal Services in Serbia
Vladisavljevic Law Office provides legal assistance in connection with the purchase, sale, construction and lease of real estate in Serbia. This includes checking the property and the developer, reviewing and drafting preliminary agreements and sale agreements, collecting missing documents, representation before the Real Estate Cadastre, registration of ownership and deletion of mortgages.
We also deal with unregistered property, tax and VAT questions connected with the purchase of a first apartment, sale of property from abroad through a power of attorney and other legal issues which regularly appear in real estate transactions.
For Serbian readers, our page Advokati za nekretnine provides a more detailed overview of our real estate and construction law services.
Property Documentation and Legal Status
A large number of problems come from the documents themselves. They may be incomplete, contain errors or simply not correspond with the actual situation. Older sale or gift agreements sometimes contain inconsistent information about the property, probate decisions may contain mistakes, while the apartment number appearing in the contract may not be the same as the one appearing in other records or even on site.
Additional checks can concern disputed ownership, easements, pre-emption rights, mortgages, annotations, planning restrictions, tax issues and incomplete property documentation. The formal transfer of ownership from the seller to the buyer is only one part of the transaction.
Foreign Buyers and Transactions from Abroad
Foreign buyers may face additional questions which should be checked before the transaction, including whether they can acquire the particular property in Serbia and whether reciprocity exists with their country. It is also necessary to determine what documents will be required by the notary, bank or other authority. Where the owner or buyer lives or resides abroad, physical presence in Serbia is often not necessary for every step. In many cases, a properly prepared and authenticated power of attorney can be used for representation before the notary, the Real Estate Cadastre, the Tax Administration and other competent authorities.
Buying an Apartment Under Construction
When buying an apartment which is still under construction, checking the developer is especially important. The importance of this is usually best understood by buyers who have already faced delays, unfinished construction or a developer in serious financial difficulty. Before entering into the transaction, it may therefore be necessary to check the developer’s previous projects, financial position, enforcement proceedings and disputes, as well as the documentation relating to the construction itself.
Unregistered Property
Notarial Certification of the Sale Agreement
A sale agreement for real estate must be solemnised by a notary. As part of this procedure, the notary checks the agreement. This, however, does not necessarily mean that the agreement prepared by the parties fully protects their interests, or that the accompanying property documentation is complete and without problems. Such issues may become important later, particularly when registration of the new owner is attempted or when a dispute or another obstacle to the transfer appears.
Real estate matters are handled by Lawyer Tijana Vladisavljević, who advises clients in real estate matters as part of a broader civil and commercial law practice.
Contact
For legal advice or representation concerning the purchase, sale or legal status of real estate in Serbia, you can contact Vladisavljevic Law Office:
info@advokatiubeogradu.rs
or call:
+381 64 380 95 25