Morocco Launches National Effort to Combat Rising Real Estate Scams Targeting Expats

More and more Moroccans and Moroccans residing abroad (MREs) are victims of scams through real estate associations. To fight against this phenomenon that is gaining momentum, a national coordination has been set up, relays SNRT News. Most of the victims recount having paid large sums of money to these real estate associations with a view to the construction of housing. But they never took possession of their buildings, the construction of which has not been launched or is unfinished.

Some victims have been evicted from their homes that would belong to other people. Civil servants and MREs are currently under threat of eviction from their luxury villas, built as part of a residential project in Harhoura. The justice system has been seized of this case. Similarly, other victims have taken legal action against the promoters of residential projects carried out along the coast between Casablanca and Rabat, the work on which has been suspended.

The real estate associations, legally constituted, can only build housing for their members with whom they sign sales promise commitments and receive staggered or advance payments, as well as additional amounts for the connection of water and electricity meters against a simple receipt, explains the lawyer Bakkar Sbai, specifying that these payments have no legal basis, which sometimes leads to cases of fraud.

"There is no specific law applying exclusively to residential associations, and consequently, there are no legal guarantees taking into account the specificity of the members of these associations, nor specific punitive measures, except for Article 540 and following, if the act carries a more severe qualification than that of fraud, due to the urgent need for housing," details the expert who advises to ensure all legal guarantees before engaging in a housing acquisition process.