FAMILIES and couples at a complex in Altinkum have had their homes repossessed and could see them auctioned off as creditors seek to recover a builder’s mountain of debt - estimated in excess of 500,000 TL (£200,000).
Twelve of 17 apartments have been seized by creditors who are looking to recover debts or loans rattled up by builder Altay Cetin who is reportedly in prison for fraud.
Voices understands that about 15 creditors are chasing repayments and these include businesses and even government departments.
Couple Pam and Ian Burrell, of Worthing, west Sussex, have learnt their apartment, at Safir apartments, Selanik Caddesi, Sokak 881, in Yeni Mahalle, is one of the 12 apartments that are planned to be put up for auction in Didim on Monday September 7.
They bought their property off plan in April 2004 with them handing over a total of £35,000 on completion in March, the following year.
They were guided to an estate agent called Blue Sea Real Estate acting as agent for the builder for the issuing of title deeds, but these have never been issued.
They learnt this week that creditors seeking to recoup debts from Çetin have put restraints on 12 apartments in the complex and intend to have them auctioned off.
The Burrells, along with four other affected parties who bought at Safir, have turned to solicitor Nesrin Sandalcı to launch a last ditch bid to stop the auction going ahead and to secure the title deeds on the apartments
Mrs Burrell said: “We are absolutely devastated by the news that we could lose our apartment even though we have been using it for some time to enjoy holidays.
“This was in the firm belief that the title deeds were being applied for as Army searches had been granted. It is a nightmare situation that is not of our making.
“We are all sick with worry and anxious that the apartments are not auctioned off in September. Our hopes now rest with our solicitor who I understand is trying through the courts to get the restraints placed by the creditors lifted.”
She added: “We are all desperate that this scandal has occurred and now time is running out fast.”
Ms Sandalcı said: “I understand that people, certainly my clients, have bought on the complex but have been unable to secure their property title deeds in their names.
“We are taking matters step by step with the aim of getting the restraints placed by the builder’s creditors lifted and to stop the auction going ahead. Once that is achieved, then it is a necessity to get the title deeds issue resolved.”
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