Christoforos Karayiannas & Son Ltd are Property Developers based in Paralimni in the southern Republic of Cyprus. We were to buy a four bedroom detached house from them. Unfortunately they misrepresented our site so as to induce us into the contract, then they and failed to deliver us our house and have kept all the money we paid.
IN A SHOCKING MOVE: Once this website went live we quickly found out that despite being registered to us at the land registry, Karayiannas had unlawfully resold our house to another British family. At first the unlawful occupant claimed to know nothing about us and her lawyer gave the impression she had been tricked. But as you will hear in my YouTube videos her lawyer is now claiming that she was fully aware from the beginning that the house was ours and has been promised a new house and or money if things go wrong for her!
We now live in rented accommodation and are seeking justice through the courts.
Chr. Karayiannas & Son Ltd sold us 30 Ayios Sergios in the village of Frenaros near Ayia Napa to suit our requirement of privacy in the garden. It was to be a corner plot. It had a bungalow on one side that had only a single ground floor window looking in our direction. The other side was to have a road running the full length of the plot. Across the road there was to be two more bungalows. It was a rare find. We were given plans to support this.
It was perfect for us and a sound investment for the future so we put a small deposit down on our first trip and I returned shortly afterwards to investigate thoroughly. We found an independent lawyer, adjusted the contract to suit ourselves and deposited it at the land registry for specific performance.
Unfortunately for us Karayiannas built three houses where the road was to be. These had balconies and windows looking down onto our garden destroying any privacy.
Karayiannas were clever; none of the photos they sent showed the changes that happened at the same time they laid our foundations. It was only when they failed to do the internal changes we requested that I got on the first flight over. It was then they gave us the new site plan. We were screwed because of their deception.
"every time this is happening to me, from my experience you are not the first one, you are the 100 one" Marios Karayiannas February 10, 2006 |
I began recording our conversations not only for my personal safety but also to protect my investment. Over the following month Karayiannas were callous, evasive, aggressive and ultimately violent and it was all CAPTURED ON TAPE.
Their response was to continue to lie and to try and force us out of our contract. Unless they go bust we will win through the courts but we must tell our story to prevent other foreign investors falling for their deception.
On their website Karayiannas state:-
“Quality of service, honesty and integrity is our philosophy”
I publish here on LyingBuilder.com their letters, emails and the recordings I made of our meetings. You can make your own mind up about this company. We have nothing to hide and now very little to loose.
Below is a short explanation of our situation. I recommend you read through this first, then using the menus, you can examine the evidence for yourself. If you’re buying a property in Cyprus you will find our experience essential reading. If you find all this is too much to read I have made 13 YouTube videos which summarise our plight up untill November 2007.
More videos to come soon regarding my second assault in January 2008
May 2005 we were introduced to Karayiannas & Son Ltd by a buying agent in Cyprus. We made an offer on the house (CYP 163,000 including pool) and left a small deposit (CYP 1,000) to secure the price. June 2005 I return to Cyprus to check out the company, their build quality, site plan, and propose interior changes etc. I also found an independent solicitor that they have never dealt with to draw up the contract. August 2005 The contract is signed and deposited at the land registry for specific purpose. Our first installment of CYP 39,000 is paid. October 2005 Foundations laid for our house (and the offending houses which overlook our garden - at the time we assumed they were the foundations for the bungalows!) December 2005 The frame stage was paid (CYP 25,972.50) 20th January 2006 Michelle Anglou emails photos of our house. We notice none of the interior changes requested were done and I immediately booked a flight. 30th January 2006 (Monday) We received by email the civil engineers certificate for Brickwork stage. 2nd February 2006 (Thursday) We transferred money to our solicitor for the Brickwork stage (CYP 26,083.50) 6th February 2006 (Monday) I arrived in Cyprus. I confirmed mistakes had been made to our house but more importantly were the changes they had made to the site plan, which had been hidden from us. After meeting an expat onsite I decided to record my conversations with Karayiannas not only for my own records (to play back to my wife) but also for my personal saftey. As you will hear this was a wise move as not only had did Marios Karayiannas' tone and manner change significantly but he made promises that he soon went back on and are now evidence to support my case. 9th and 10th February 2006 (Thursday/Friday) Meetings with Karayiannas & Son Ltd. (all recorded) he offers to compensate and instruct's me to go home and discuss with my wife and put in writing how things could be resolved. I fly home Friday afternoon. 13th February 2006 (Monday) As agreed I email our thoughts on their changes and propose some solutions Marios requested. This is an important document to read! 21st February 2006 (Tuesday) I chase Karayiannas for a response via email. 22nd February 2006 (Wednesday) I make 2 phone calls to Karayiannas. 1st March 2006 (Wednesday) I emailed Karayiannas again for a response. Later that day I received an email from Karayiannas Lawyers ( Pittadjis of Paralimni ) stating they are not in breach of any terms and advise that I keep up my obligations. Despite the given site plan and appendix of our contract we realized that their lies and misrepresentations would be hard to prove. We had no choice but to continue with the contract. We were determined however that no other foreigners would fall for their lies and decided to put our story on the web. 3rd March 2006 (Friday) I phoned Karayiannas and spoke to Michelle Anglou to arrange a meeting with Marios Karayiannas the following Tuesday. (Recorded) 4th March 2006 (Saturday) a short description of our story was put on the web and LyingBuilder.com was born. 6th March 2006 (Monday) I flew back to Cyprus. 7th March 2006 (Tuesday) I went to their office twice. I confronted them on their lies but told them we had no choice but to have the house in August and that they had won. I told them that I would make sure nobody else falls for their lies and gave Marios and his father Christoforos Karayiannas a business card of this site. Lying Builder (All recorded an important listen) 8th March 2006 (Wednesday) Marios Karayiannas tell our solicitor Marion Carter that he no longer wants us to have the house and refuses payment for the brick work stage. 9th March 2006 (Thursday) Karayiannas & Son Ltd lawyer sent a fax and email stating that I’ve missed TWO payments despite their DEMANDS. The letter also states that they CANCEL the agreement and will RETAIN ALL MONEY! This is obviously untrue and unlawful. The same day Christoforos Karayiannas is arrested for assaulting me. Marios Karayiannas is arrested for criminal damaged towards my camcorder.(all caught on film, they await trial) Throughout the following week they keep refusing to accept payment (the final time it was sent via a court server) 10th April 2006 Christoforos Karayiannas & Son Ltd send a letter via their lawyers George Pittadjis. It included :- They still have our money and we are currently going through the courts. We are living in rented accommodation with the house market rising around us but will make sure Karayiannas never profit from this breach. Go to the House Occupant page to see how we then found out that the Karayiannas Developers had unlawfully resold our house to another British family. |