The Appeals Court has ruled that the Department of Lands and Surveys has no statutory duty to inform property buyers about pre-existing sale agreements, the Law Office said.
The ruling came after a buyer sued the Land Registry Department for failing to disclose that an apartment he was purchasing had already been sold to another party.
“No law, constitutional article, or other provision requires the Land Registry to inform buyers or their representatives about previous sale agreements during contract submission”, the Law Office said in a statement.
The District Court initially rejected the buyer’s claim, finding no evidence of negligence by the Land Registry.
The court noted that while legislation allows buyers to request property information before submitting contracts, the plaintiff had not used this provision.
The Appeal Court upheld the lower court’s decision, stating the Land Registry could not refuse to accept a contract meeting legal requirements under the Sale of Land (Specific Performance) Law, which has since been repealed.
The Supreme Court subsequently rejected the buyer’s application to file legal questions arising from the Appeal Court’s decision, viewing it as an attempt to reopen settled matters.
“The Supreme Court found no grounds to intervene, as the application stemmed from the buyer’s disagreement with the Appeal Court’s decision”, the Law Office said.
Despina Kourousidou, Republic Counsel A’, represented the Attorney General in the case.
(information from CNA)
