It often happens that a person who owns real estate wants to sell or bequeath it. But he cannot deal with all the nuances of the transaction and signing documents for any reason. For example, health does not allow, or he constantly resides in another country. In this case, a general power of attorney is needed.
Highlights
So what is this document? A general power of attorney is issued so that the property of the owner can be disposed of by another person. He can also make certain transactions specified in the document. A power of attorney is issued either for all property, or for a specific one - for example, an apartment.
The general power of attorney differs from the ordinary one in the first place in that in this case the authorized person receives extended powers. This document must be registered with a notary. At the same time, it is important to clearly state all the actions that the principal allows to perform with his property. In addition, the power of attorney always indicate the specific terms of its validity. If they are not there, then it will be valid for one calendar year.
Trust but verify!
Since a general power of attorney for real estate can give a person the opportunity to sell housing and receive money, then it is worthwhile to be especially careful. Those who are not particularly versed in legal intricacies are easily scammed by fraudsters around the finger, asking them to sign a small paper.
It happens that black realtors make such a power of attorney for privatization or for registration of inheritance. Therefore, it is important to clearly read all the paragraphs in the document, and if the phrase "make any transactions permitted by law" is present there, then it is better to refuse such an assistant. It is worth noting that notaries are very wary of such situations. After all, if the owner loses his square meters and tells the police that he was misled, the problems for the people who issued the document will only increase.
How to protect yourself from scammers?
In general, real estate market experts do not recommend buying a house by proxy. After all, here too there is a high risk of being deceived. The easiest option - a general power of attorney for the apartment may be fake. And then the money given for the housing dream will be very difficult to return.
If, nevertheless, you decide on such a deal, then you need to talk with the principal. By phone, for example. Make sure that he is capable, is in his right mind and with memory. Sometimes it happens that a person has long been dead, and a fraudster uses an old document. In addition, the owner must be aware of the existence of the power of attorney.
Also, do not agree to buy real estate if the principal is mentally ill. To determine, of course, not everyone can do it. But in this case, the court may revoke the power of attorney, and cancel the transaction. In addition, you can personally communicate with the notary who issued the document.
A general power of attorney can provide invaluable assistance to those who are not able to engage in the sale of housing themselves. But at the same time, the owner has a risk of losing both real estate and money. The buyer is no less at risk, concluding a deal involving such a document.