Land Titles / Ownership Is Dodgy In Mexico
by Johnny Briefcase 
, Thursday, August 18, 2016, 09:48 (3740 days ago)
We've have always been advised that the lack of a comprehensive land registry in Mexico makes buying property there a risky & complicated business. The following link demonstrates this subject very well. People buy property of uncertain ownership and do significant improvements. This makes the property attractive for competing claims [ even totally fraudulent ones ] to come out of the woodwork. Now there is this kind of trouble in the Tulum paradise. ...JB
Fools and Their Money
by ZihuaRob 
, Zihuatanejo, México, Thursday, August 18, 2016, 10:26 (3740 days ago) @ Johnny Briefcase
We've have always been advised that the lack of a comprehensive land registry in Mexico makes buying property there a risky & complicated business. The following link demonstrates this subject very well. People buy property of uncertain ownership and do significant improvements. This makes the property attractive for competing claims [ even totally fraudulent ones ] to come out of the woodwork. Now there is this kind of trouble in the Tulum paradise. ...JB
Those folks acted stupidly. In each story they were aware of competing land claims on ejido lands yet they continued to act irresponsibly. Fools and their money... More money than sense...
Land Titles / Ownership Is Dodgy In Mexico
by frostbite , Hamilton MT, Thursday, August 18, 2016, 11:01 (3740 days ago) @ Johnny Briefcase
Before we made an offer on the lot on La Madera, the first thing we did was to hire an attorney. The best move we made.
Land Titles / Ownership Is Dodgy In Mexico
by Johnny Briefcase , Thursday, August 18, 2016, 11:50 (3740 days ago) @ frostbite
Before we made an offer on the lot on La Madera, the first thing we did was to hire an attorney. The best move we made.
Frosty - just curious. How did your lawyer assure you that there were no other claimants to the property you purchased ? JB
Land Titles / Ownership Is Dodgy In Mexico
by frostbite , Hamilton MT, Thursday, August 18, 2016, 20:33 (3740 days ago) @ Johnny Briefcase
I have no idea what he did and how he did it, but other than some attempted slimebaggery by the owner, everything turned out fine. We pay our trust fee to the bank every year, the accountant pays the taxes and everybody is happy.
Land Titles / Ownership Is Dodgy In Mexico
why pay a trust fee to the bank if you can now have the property in your name ?
i personally love ejido land. many of my gringo friends have their houses on it, some who have been in Z since the late 60s, and are in some of the best spots on the coast.
Land Titles / Ownership Is Dodgy In Mexico
by frostbite , Hamilton MT, Friday, August 19, 2016, 15:40 (3739 days ago) @ mapache
It is my understanding that foreigners can not outright own property within 100 kilometers of the border or 50 kilometers of the coast in Mexico. A trust held by a bank allows one to sell or pass it on to heirs. If this has changed, I'd appreciate details.
Land Titles / Ownership Is Dodgy In Mexico
yep. thank pena nieto. changed about 2 years ago, maybe closer to 3.
if you need a good lawyer i like alberto estrella he's in downtown Z
Land Titles / Ownership Is Dodgy In Mexico
by frostbite , Hamilton MT, Friday, August 19, 2016, 20:03 (3739 days ago) @ mapache
Thanks. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the bank conveniently didn't mention this. Our attorney is Agustin Galindo. He's done well for us.
Land Titles / Ownership Is Dodgy In Mexico
by timixtapa , Ixtapa, México, Saturday, August 20, 2016, 05:34 (3738 days ago) @ mapache
Mapache your information is incorrect.
Land Titles / Ownership Is Dodgy In Mexico
by bob/medhat , medicine hat, alberta, Sunday, August 21, 2016, 07:49 (3737 days ago) @ timixtapa
Conflicting info...has it been changed or Not?
Land Titles / Ownership In Mexico
by midalake , Sunday, August 21, 2016, 08:40 (3737 days ago) @ bob/medhat
Nothing has changed. If you want to own property within a certain distance of the coast or border one has to have a Fiduciary Trust.
One should also stay as far away form ejido land as they can.
D
Then Beware of Fonatur's Ixtapa
by ZihuaRob , Zihuatanejo, México, Sunday, August 21, 2016, 11:49 (3737 days ago) @ midalake
Nothing has changed. If you want to own property within a certain distance of the coast or border one has to have a Fiduciary Trust.
One should also stay as far away form ejido land as they can.
D
Then you shouldn't buy anything in Ixtapa because they expropriated ejido land with a legally binding promise to indemnify the ejidatarios, though of course they still haven't done so after almost 50 years and the ejidatarios are losing their patience.
Después de casi cincuenta años ejidatarios de Zihuatanejo dicen que Fonatur no los ha indemnizado
Then Beware of Fonatur's Ixtapa
by midalake , Sunday, August 21, 2016, 16:02 (3737 days ago) @ ZihuaRob
Nothing has changed. If you want to own property within a certain distance of the coast or border one has to have a Fiduciary Trust.
One should also stay as far away form ejido land as they can.
D
Then you shouldn't buy anything in Ixtapa because they expropriated ejido land with a legally binding promise to indemnify the ejidatarios, though of course they still haven't done so after almost 50 years and the ejidatarios are losing their patience.Después de casi cincuenta años ejidatarios de Zihuatanejo dicen que Fonatur no los ha indemnizado
Well that is a shame.....I hope Fonatur takes care of these people soon.
D
Land Titles / Ownership In Mexico
by frostbite , Hamilton MT, Monday, August 22, 2016, 10:22 (3736 days ago) @ midalake
Confirmed today by our attorney, Agustin Galindo.
Land Titles / Ownership In Mexico
yes. i was incorrect.
altho i believe (and gringo friends did) get title to ejido land.
we like ejido. have had mine for about 10 years already.
some friends going since the 70s 80s and 90s.
Land Titles / Ownership In Mexico
once and for all. It is illegal to buy ejido land in Mexico. It is even illegal for Mexicans to buy it although many do,they then hold the land illegally and can be challenged by the Mesa Directiva.If you hold land in Mexico which does not have escituras[title] you are contravening the law and can have that land siezed by the ejido.All legal land transactions have to go through a Notary, he determines if the title is legal, All legal titles are in the zihua registry office, Many people,foreigners and nationals,think they own ejido land and build on it and hold it for years.When the land becomes more valuable it is legally seized.Never buy land anywhere in the World without a legal title.All the land seizures that have happened.Punta Banda, tulum, etc. were seizures of land which had been held without title[escrituras] When you look at a piece of land for sale, ask for a copy of the escrituras.If they don't have them, don't buy it! Fideo comiso is another question but also easy to resolve. Simply talk to a lawyer,notaries have them on staff or you can use your own,I don't care if you have held a piece of ejido land for 20 years and built a house that land is not yours and can be legally seized.It is the buyer's fault if he enters into an illegal transaction.
Land Titles / Ownership In Mexico
by Johnny Briefcase , Monday, August 29, 2016, 10:51 (3729 days ago) @ zlimey
once and for all. It is illegal to buy ejido land in Mexico. It is even illegal for Mexicans to buy it although many do,they then hold the land illegally and can be challenged by the Mesa Directiva.If you hold land in Mexico which does not have escituras[title] you are contravening the law and can have that land siezed by the ejido.All legal land transactions have to go through a Notary, he determines if the title is legal, All legal titles are in the zihua registry office, Many people,foreigners and nationals,think they own ejido land and build on it and hold it for years.When the land becomes more valuable it is legally seized.Never buy land anywhere in the World without a legal title.All the land seizures that have happened.Punta Banda, tulum, etc. were seizures of land which had been held without title[escrituras] When you look at a piece of land for sale, ask for a copy of the escrituras.If they don't have them, don't buy it! Fideo comiso is another question but also easy to resolve. Simply talk to a lawyer,notaries have them on staff or you can use your own,I don't care if you have held a piece of ejido land for 20 years and built a house that land is not yours and can be legally seized.It is the buyer's fault if he enters into an illegal transaction.
One of the evicted hotel owners who has dual Canadian / Mexican citizenship, has filed an injunction in Cancun. He claims to have legal documentation proving that the land he bought was officially removed from the ejido tract and that he has documents proving he is the rightful owner. The whole affair appears to be a shakedown by a family of claimants who did not evict owners who paid them off previously. Something definitely stinks here. ....JB
Land Titles / Ownership Is Dodgy In Mexico
The feds were talking about doing away with the fidisicomisio where the bank holds your title of your property, but it didn't get dealt with. You still need the trust and it costs roughly 500 US dollars a year. I'm sure if they really got rid of it, there would be an increase in foreign property ownership which can be good and or bad for the Mexican economy
Land Titles / Ownership Is Dodgy In Mexico
by frostbite , Hamilton MT, Saturday, August 20, 2016, 07:33 (3738 days ago) @ rojo
Thanks for the clarification. I would have been less than pleased to find out that we'd recently paid our trust for no reason.
