Monthly Archives: April 2013

Judge Investigating Punta Perla/Estepona Beach and Country Club Scams Finally Removed

April 29th, 2013

Justice Mr. Jose Emilio Coronado Ruz, in charge of investigating the criminal claim against Ricardo Miranda Miret and Ocean View Properties former directors -all indicted for missapropriation and swindle- has been himself removed from the post following a recusal petition filed by firm Lawbird.

The reason why Justice Coronado Ruz was forced to leave the investigation by the Madrid Appeal Court was the implication of his brother, Ignacio Miranda Miret, in the sale of the land on which Punta Perla was to be built (via sale of shares of the company Paraiso Tropical).

Lawbird exposed the Judge after noticing that at least €100,000 worth of deposits paid by bona fide customers ended up in the pockets of the brother. The payment had seemingly gone unnoticed to the Judge as was, shockingly, the younger brother’s involvement in a high-profile case that could have not gone past him without knowledge of some degree of participation, a claim that The Honourable responded to by stating that for “reasons that he will not disclose, he has not been in touch with his brother since 1998 and hence, could have not known”.

What are the odds of a case lodged with the Madrid Courts of First Instance– 101 in operation- ending up in one whose boss happens to be the brother of a party implicated in receiving money? Well, 1 in 101. But then, what are the odds of that Judge not knowing that his brother could have been implicated in such case, and furthermore, the odds of both brothers not talking to each other for the best part of 15 years? 

 

Lawyers move to change judge in house scam case

April 28th, 2013
Story by ROB SMYTH | Burton Mail

LAWYERS have called a halt to a case concerning an alleged multi-million pound overseas property scam involving a Yoxall businessman in an effort to get the judge changed – after they claimed his brother had links with some of the firms involved with the case.

In a letter to hundreds of people impacted, legal bosses have revealed that they have asked for Judge Jose Emilio Coronado Ruz to be removed from presiding over a class action lawsuit against Spanish developer Ricardo Miranda Miret.

Lawyers are delaying the case until the judge is replaced after links between his brother and one of the developers involved in the case were uncovered.

Previously, the Mail has revealed that Colin Thomas, of Town Hill, had been subpoenaed to appear in Madrid.

The criminal claim for fraud and misappropriation of funds was lodged in 2011 in an effort to recover money on behalf of dozens of Ocean View Properties (OVP) victims.

Mr Thomas’s company, OVP, was behind a string of successful overseas propoerty enterprises but ran into difficulties when it became involved as a UK agent for Spanish developer Ricardo Miranda Miret.

More than 1,000 British investors, who paid a total of £45 million for ‘off-plan’ overseas property developments, have lost their money after the firm was formally dissolved in 2009 with the appointment of liquidators Grant Thornton.

The court claims made in Madrid are linked to developments which never materialised at the Estepona Country Club on the Costa del Sol and Punta Perla, in the Dominican Republic.

Mr Thomas is currently banned from being a company director for nine years following an Insolvency Service investigation.

He was also cleared by the Serious Fraud Office and Staffordshire Police following an investigation into the collapse of OVP.

Neither Mr Thomas nor his advisors were available for comment.

Owner of leisure complex Laguna Village ordered to pay back deposit to British investor

April 25th, 2013
Sur in English


2013-04-25-Lawbird-Owner-of-leisure-complex-Laguna-Village-to-Pay-Investor2013-04-25-Lawbird-Owner-of-leisure-complex-Laguna-Village-to-Pay-InvestorThe Malaga Appeal Court has ordered the property developing company Playa Padrón Estepona S.L., managed by German businessman Jürgen Sauer, owner of the Estepona leisure complex Laguna Village and co-founder of the Kempinski hotel, to pay just under 500,000 euros to a British investor.

The investor, represented in court by lawyer Luis Fernando Gonzalez Ordoñez, from Marbella law firm Lawbird Legal Services, had exchanged contracts in 2006 for the acquisition of several units in the complex. However the purchase was never completed because these units were rented out to third parties even though the seller had agreed, contractually, that they were to be sold “free from occupants”.

The investor had paid 185,000 euros to the developer and agreed that, in the event that he was unable to conclude the transaction he would forfeit the deposit but, if the developer was unable to sell under the terms and conditions agreed, it would return twice the deposit, plus interest.

The initial case against the developers ruled in their favour, citing the relevant clause as a clerical error. Following the successful appeal the company managing Laguna Village is obliged to pay 365,000 euros to the investor plus accrued interest since 2006 and legal costs.

Property and finance – doing it right

April 18th, 2013
Story by Debbie Barlett | Sur in English

2013-04-Lawbird-Sur-in-English-Property-and-Finance-Done-RightThere is general agreement that this is a good time to buy property in Spain. Prices are unlikely to drop further and those who are looking to buy as an investment should receive a good return when they sell in the medium to long term. Those looking for a main residence or holiday home will also be able to afford a larger or more luxurious property than they might otherwise have done.

Whatever the reason for the purchase, buying a property is a major investment and one that needs to be protected and looked after. The number one rule in this regard is to use the services of a lawyer. It might be tempting to save money by not doing so if everything appears to be straightforward, but this could well prove to be a false economy.

Why is a lawyer essential? For many reasons, says Antonio Flores, of Lawbird Legal Services in Marbella. Horror stories can happen.

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Condenan al cofundador del hotel Kempinski a abonar medio millón de euros

April 18th, 2013
El Mundo

La Audiencia Provincial de Málaga ha condenado a la mercantil Playa Padrón Estepona S.L., promotora del complejo de ocio radicado en Estepona conocido como ‘Laguna Village’, fundada y administrada por el empresario alemán Jürgen Sauer, a abonar cerca de medio millón de euros a un inversor británico.

Dicho inversor, representado en juicio por el letrado de Lawbird Luis Fernando González Ordóñez, había firmado un contrato de arras para la adquisición de varias unidades en el complejo en el año 2006, en régimen de concesión administrativa, y no pudo escriturarlas al estar éstas alquiladas, dándose la circunstancia de que las mismas se habían vendido “libres de inquilinos u ocupantes”.

En total, el inversor abonó 185.000 euros a la promotora, y acordaron que de no proceder con la escritura por causa imputable a la compradora, esta perdería el depósito, pero que de ser la vendedora la que no pudiera vender, vendría obligada a devolver el doble de lo abonado —según se prevé para los contratos de arras penitenciales—, más los intereses desde el año 2006 y las costas procesales causadas.

El Juzgado de Primera Instancia 2 de Estepona dio inicialmente la razón a la mercantil Playa Padrón Estepona S.L., no estimando la petición del inversor británico, al aceptar como buena, entre otras, la alegación de que la cláusula de devolución del duplo de lo abonado se insertó en el contrato por culpa de un error administrativo. Sin embargo, la Audiencia Provincial en reciente sentencia estima el recurso formulado por la representación legal del inversor y revoca íntegramente la sentencia,condenando a la mercantil concesionaria de complejo ‘Laguna Village’ a abonar 365.000 euros, con sus intereses y costas.

Se da la circunstancia de que el empresario Jürgen Sauer, administrador de Laguna Village, cofundador del Hotel Kempinski de Estepona y propietario de la inmobiliaria Sauer, fue detenido en el año 2008 por un presunto delito de blanqueo de capitales en el marco de la Operación Hidalgo por la Juez María Jesús del Pilar Márquez, quinta instructora de la causa que inició el Juez Francisco de Urquía.

El letrado Luis González ha señalado que “la mercantil no contesta a los requerimientos del despacho para proceder al abono del importe de la condena, por lo que se procederá a ejecutar la sentencia, embargando, si fuera necesario, los alquileres que regularmente abonan los inquilinos de los locales del complejo Laguna Village”.