Morocco: Clients of a real estate developer trapped

The property dreams of dozens of families risk turning into a nightmare. According to information revealed by Al3Omk, a heavyweight in the sector, presented as a "baron" of housing cooperatives in the Casablanca-Settat region, is using dubious methods to try to save a drifting project. Faced with financial and administrative difficulties, this developer is now demanding that his clients pay the remaining balance of their apartments in cash, an illegal practice that has finally aroused suspicion.

The concern is all the more well-founded as the legal situation of the land is alarming. A recent certificate from the Land Registry of Casablanca-Nouaceur reveals a reality far from the commercial promises: the land title is encumbered by a first-ranking mortgage in favor of the Crédit Immobilier et Hôtelier (CIH). Registered on October 7, 2025, this guarantee covers a colossal loan of more than 143.4 million dirhams.

In other words, the apartments that the developer is trying to have paid at a high price belong virtually to the bank. The documents are formal: any sale, rental or new mortgage is strictly prohibited without the creditor’s agreement. Even more seriously, the project still does not have a certificate of compliance (occupancy permit). Without this essential document and with such a debt on its back, the transfer of ownership to the buyers is now legally impossible, leaving the latter exposed to the risk of losing everything if they give in to the cash payment demands.