Savvaidis Associates Property for sale in Rhoes Greece Savvaidis & Associates, Savvaidis - Associates Illegal Property, Illegal Lawyers, Property for sale in Rhodes. Savvaidis.gr Rhodes, Nationwide

My full & final response to your public tirade & private threats (how very, very brave of you!)

Here Mr. Yids,

For your reading enjoyment:

(((Redacted)))

Before you get all defensive and tell me these laws are for Crete, Crete is part of Greece. Tax and EOT laws come out of Athens and are applicable to the whole country ( even Rhodes ). Mr. Kapitanos can explain all of this to you.


CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Uh, Mr. Yids I am also not Greek - and at the moment I am less than 5 miles from your location ( in Harrow - I returned to the UK this morning ).

Being a foreigner in Greece, I have nothing against foreign ownership. The problem I have is with the breaking of very sensible EOT and Tax laws and the impact to my enjoyment of my Greek property.

It's clear you support the breaking of these laws. I don't. The law is well on my side.

The EOT in itself is not extremely powerful in Greece. That's why the July 1, 2010 laws  place the majority of enforcement responsibility on the Tax Department - they are powerful! The Tax department is only one phone call away for the EOT office.

I spend a great deal of time with the Greek people - in and out of the country. The current mindset is that following laws and paying taxes is the only way to get out of the mess the country is in. If you really care about the country you chose to invest in, you would realize this and you would too.

Would love to meet for a coffee I could bring you your own personal copy of the regulations. That way you would not need to rely on "rumour, hearsay and chinese whispers" for your information.

You have made little secret of your dislike for overseas owners & I read with interest your negativities. You accuse me of hiding but choose to register a UK based profile although resident in Greece?

Let's tie it all together and get back on topic.

As you've guessed, I own a home in Rhodes. The home was purchased as my home - there was no zoning for running the houses as pseudo-hotels. It was my own escape from the pressures of my work and I loved it.

However, one day Mr. Savvaidis came up with the idea ( others followed ) that he could sell more homes if he could convince the buyers they could quite easily ( with no license ) rent out to tourists. The houses in my neighborhood were not designed or approved for this purpose - they were simply built as private homes.

Now, people like you fell for this con ( from Savvas or whoever else ) and proceeded to rent to toursits ( unlicensed ). You continued to do so even after finding out it was illegal ( and you've talked in complete circles to avoid admitting to this ). To LH's credit, she does not.

The occupancy rates became far more than any government would approve ( often 10 or more in a three bedroom house ), there is absolutely no form of hotel management or security one would normally expect in a hotel, and the general condition of the neighborhood began ( and continues ) to degrade at a rate one would expect if the neighborhood was a true commercial one ( but, again, it is NOT ).

The EOT takes a very realistic approach to this. Multiple homes on a shared plot, if licensed for rent, are considered a hotel and must ALL be licensed ( not 90 or 95, but 100% ). There is no possibility of licensing half of the houses on the plot for tourist rentals and the other half not. They can be only licensed as a whole, as a hotel. And this hotel must be operated at the same standard as any other hotel in the country - VAT must be charged, a hotel registry must record the passports of the head occupant, official tax department receipts must be issued to guests, occupancy numbers must meet certain limits. Even the rates themselves MUST be approved by EOT - you know none of that happens.

When collecting evidence of illegal rentals in my neighborhood for the EOT, several of my neighbors readily provided me with rental contracts, home addresses and UK banking information as well as "rules" of their pseudo-hotels ( despite the fact there is nobody around to enforce them ). When I asked each one about VAT, they told me it was not applicable and all taxes were paid in the UK. When I asked about tax department receipts, all communication ceased. Check the TAX / EOT laws for villa rentals. The law is very clear - these people are stealing from Greece. Tell me Mr. Yids, what do YOU call it?

So, my comments here are very valid consumer complaints against Savvaidis - the fact that he convinced people like you that it was ok to operate without a valid license. I do have a little pity on you and your plight, Mr. Yids. However, it is not my problem you need tourist rentals to pay for your "place in the sun". The action to stop this is well on its way and, again, not my problem - just my solution.

A very good lawyer told me once that when you are cheated, you should publicise that fact ( of course with evidence to back it up ) and tell EVERYBODY, EVERYWHERE. This way, reputation and livelihood of the offender is affected and it may force a resolution. LH is doing this very well. NH is only trying to help by providing accurate information.

I guess it is within the interest of the pseudo-hotels that these facts are not divulged. Perhaps not being aware of the law is the defense you intend to use once things, in your words, "prove to be an awkward immediate future". Too bad. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Changing the law after you've broken it is very highly unlikely.

One more point, Mr. Yids. Since you clearly spend little actual time in Rhodes, you probably don't know about this years transport strike that led to fuel and food shortages accross Greece. The reason for the strike was to protest the liberalisation of transport licensing. Transport is a licensed, regulated commercial industry, much like tourism.

Suddenly it's possible for new entrants into the transport industry. However a license is required and all regulations must be followed. Same goes for tourism. Very fair analogy - don't understand why you can't comprehend that.

NH.

I would like to say in answer to your now twice referral to the fact that this is turning into some kind of advertisement.. I only came on here in the first place to defend myself against comments from people like yourself, if you hadn't have mentioned my name I wouldn't have joined in, but I have a right to answer where someone writes about me..

I am puzzled as to why you have such an interest in my personal information? 

Ok Mr Yids,

Why do you avoid the simple question I posed for you: You do not have an EOT license on your house ( that's clear ), but do you rent that house to tourists despite this fact?

I ask no more.

Clearly Sir I am wasting my time in tendering my opinion, as you seem only interested in your own churlish argument & outlandish reference to irrelevancies (lorry driving?)

Ok Mr. Yids, I get it now.

In your words you were "misled on a wholesale scale". You were told you could enter into a country's major industry with no license requirements.

This was not true. Were you promised you could just start driving a lorry down here also - no transport license required either?

You later learn the law is not written that way.

So now that makes the law "clearly outdated" and "xenophobic" and obviously must be ignored until "alternative legislation" is tabled by the government. 

Nice planet you live on Mr. Yids. Any intelligent life up there?

Mr. Yids,

Fine, let's all have some manners - I have no issue with that.

I will rephrase: LH and NH are doing MOST readers of their postings a great service by providing information otherwise not available in English on the internet. You have, though, identified no other websites.

Good to see you you have an honest lawyer watching out for you. We all know many purchasers on Rhodes don't. Would you recommend those purchasers go ask their lawyers advice?

Nothing is stopping any of NH's competition from stepping up and offering accurate information. They never will. Doing so would be be admitting to the fraud that's put a lot of money into their pockets ( it is very commendable of Cybarco's recent actions - a big step forward in Greek property after sales ). They know it. We all know it.

Financial status / mortgages aside, all purchasers of property on Rhodes fall into one of two categories:

1) Those that purchased a home with no intention of renting to tourists
2) Those that purchased a home with with the intention of renting to tourists

Last time I looked, 165 houses were being advertised for rent on one single popular website. Last year 4 villas were EOT licensed on Rhodes for such activity.

The government simply does not accept this. Please, call Mr. Kapitanos yourself who issues the licenses. The man is highly accessable. His office is to the far right of the tourist office when looking at the counter. He will definitely offer his government's opinion that these people are stealing from his country. He will also tell you the mere operation of unlicensed "pseudo hotels" is not good for the Greek Tourist industry.
 
I know several people in category 1 ( both foreigner and Greek ) above living on the same plot as pseudo hotels. These people's private lives are being greatly interfered with by the actions of those in category 2. Many are being harrassed for not accepting the illegal pseudo hotels. Some I know have not visited their homes this year. Is that fair and just to you? Do you think that is fair and just in the eyes of the Greek courts?

It's clear you are not one of the 4 people that has an EOT license - you're posts clearly indicate this.

Please, tell me frankly Mr. Yids : do you rent your property to tourists? And if you do, why do you take the laws of Greece so lightly and ignore the desire for peaceful use ( of property ) purchased by the people in category 1?

If you don't rent your property illegally, do you support those that do?

I'm listening.
 

Very noble again Ms Humphreys.

However, as previously stated, future purchasers & your happy customers are not "all that matters" to current owners already committed & attempting resolution or working their way through this.

I have no issue with whatever business you now choose to promote or charge for, but as you've already stated before, this report is "for consumers, by consumers" & should not be turned into an unsolicited advertisement for your company. Especially when said company seeks to be a direct competitor with those reported against.

Scaremongering in order to drive customers to your website is not what these reports were designed for.

I am merely tendering my observations that all need not be doom & gloom for homeowners in Rhodes. Yes, there are issues that require attention, but there is also legislation pending (that I'm sure you're aware of) that may ease the pressure with regard to the current enforcements & future implementation of EOT for legalized property.

Herman G.

First of all, may I suggest you learn some common good manners if participating in a public forum. 

For your information I'm afraid that I did gain this information elsewhere, namely directly from my lawyer who advised in writing some time ago of the forthcoming law changes. The situation is far from ideal but if its all the same to you I think I'll keep my house & continue to enjoy my visits. 

You, sir, are unaware of my personal financial status or that of many others so are a little blase to assume that all overseas owners have unserviceable mortgages or have paid no deposit. To be honest it is none of your business either.

I have read your views on here & elsewhere & have long since stopped "counting on" anything at all with regard to EOT but it seems your aversion to foreign ownership is clouding your judgement, as I'd hazard a guess that your friend Mr Kapitanos also has no desire to see the tourism industry decimated by bad publicity & hundreds of empty houses falling into disrepair either. All I know is that I've been advised on good authority that current legislation is under review. Maybe we should wait & see instead of selling out in droves.

Maybe, as you are such an expert & have such high ranking connections you could keep us all abreast of the news.  

Mr. Yid,

May I suggest that both LH and NH have provided a priceless service to the many owners of vacation properties on Rhodes. Without this service, you and many others would not even be aware of the potential to legalize properties purchased from snakeoil salesmen like Savvas.

If you have read the information these two brave individuals have provided elsewhere on the internet, in english, please tell us where? I have personally seen it in only one place not associated with these two. If you cannot tell us this, perhaps you should just shut up!

BTW, I would not count on new legislation to fix your inability to obtain am EOT license. I have spoken in great detail with the director of the Hellenic Tourism Association in Rhodes at great length about EOT licences. He is passionate about his job, and is quite convinced mixing tourist accommodation with private dwellings on a shared plot is very bad for Greek Tourism.

Your best course of action is to just legalize your place, sell it to a private owner and then get yourself a place that is possible to be licensed by Mr. Kapitanos.

I am quite aware the majority of the "owners" are people that fell for Mr. Savvaidis' "dream" of buying property with no money down, with the full intention of renting to tourists ( whilst ignoring the legalities ) to make your huge mortgage payments. Mr. Kapitanos is too.

Surely it is all that matters, to help those who ask for help and to ensure those that are buying now are aware of the pro's and the con's so they are able to avoid what previous purchasers are going through now, so yes this to me is all that matters.

Many of the negative feedbacks, you included have all made issue with the fact that I charge a fee, I am a business and of course if someone wants to instruct my services then it is normal business practice to charge a fee for my time.

My website is kept up to date with any and all information or new legislation that comes my way, I try to provide a site where people can follow whats happening in Greece, without the need to contact me directly, unless you have seen somewhere on my site, where it says click hear to make a donation, then you are very wrong in your previous statement to make gesture that I charge everyone a fee for passing on updates regarding EOT licensing..!

"only a small percentage of feedback is negative, those who have been helped are very happy, those who have just bought are very happy, this is all that matters..."

I think if you look into the situation in Greece you will find that the only people to be able to effect the property market is current legislation laid down by the Government and the legal rules of Greece.The  agents who knowingly sell and the solicitors who leglly sign off illegal property knowing it to be illegal are the only ones to blame. The ones who sold these properties against rental income, and mortgaged them on this basis are the only ones to blame.  If there was not a problem with regard to each individual property then a you tube video would not matter.

If by selling illegal properties to make a profit, thus enabling legal money to be pocketed, with out the declaraton of taxes and also by doing so leaving the purchaser in most cases with a house half or less than the size it was sold at and as we know due to this completely unable to gain the Licences needed to rent, then serious fraud is involved.

The greed for others money by illegal means has caused the problem, the greed of developers, engineers  builders and those of the lawyers who get paid to cover up the discrepancies are the only ones to blame for causing these problmes. But to the people who write, you should heed what is being said and if you own property in Greece, are you going to pay your fines for others who already have taken your money and have this in their pockets, are you going to be able to pay a mortgage without rental income, are you going to be happy with your investment that is worth much less than you paid.

Take heed this has nothing to do with Rhodes but does have much to do with the basic fact.

Illegal Properties have been sold and signed off by illegal lawyers. Again I say Check your paperwork and see what you really own, not what you were sold. Then make a decision based on fact as to who you think is to blame.

As for NH, well I know who I trust and I know who i would choose to purchase from, it certainly would not be an old school (out with the times) Agent, Developer or Lawyer..

It would be with the new schoold of Agent, lawyer and developer, (those qualified) and able to sell legal property to new purchasers in the knowledge that they actually get what they paid for and that others money is accounted for following correct procedures. That property is the correct size as sold, in the correct land density and able to obtain licences. Pools thathave licences due to the fact you have paid for them the list goes on.

The only people affected here will be those that have something to hide, those whohave done something wrong and those whomade theillegalities the living nighmare they are.

So Yidis,(the English man with the Greek name) I would tootle off and check your doccuments if you really own property in Rhodes as you will not like what you find, alternatively are you a Greek developer or a friend of the big man himself, who may I add is as guilty as sin. If he had done nothing wrong he would not have a thing to worry about,

Have a nice day

the couple who wrote this rip off report have done so for their own reasons and it has proven to them to be helpful and successful.

With making everything public, others have been able to find and resolve their own issues and problems that if there had not of been a tv program and such written documentation available to read on the internet then these other owners would have ended up in huge trouble, the deadline for the legalisation amnesty is less than two months away and many owners with my help and guidance have legalised their properties, therefore avoiding fines early next year, very heavy fines, unfortunately there are still many owners who have not legalised their properties and I could have only wished the couple who wrote this report had started early and the other rhodes properties owners may have been reached in time.

Sales on Rhodes this year has been very well considering the current economic situation, the only difference is people buying now are aware, for good or for bad of the issues, and when shown different properties they can make an informed choice, they know which properties can obtain an EOT license, which properties they are viewing dont have pool licenses and so on and these clients buy safely, surely if you are a rhodes property owner wouldnt you have rather known all of these laws before you and others bought over previous years and are now facing fines and left with properties that were bought as investments that are unable to obtain tourist rental licenses (EOT).

Honesty is the best policy and is working only a small percentage of feedback is negative, those who have been helped are very happy, those who have just bought are very happy, this is all that matters...

I agree, but if so, & you have the necessary proof your place lies in a court of law rather than a public platform suggesting that every owner in Rhodes has been tarred with the same brush. As I've already posted, there are ways & means of achieving your goals without further undermining the market as a whole.

it has nothing to do with "notary contract value" or "objective value|" being illegal, this is normal practice in greece to use the objective value for tax purposes, what is not ok and not normal is for a agent or lawyer to charge more money for taxes, pocket the difference and never provide a breakdown of taxes paid to the client, this is what is illegal!

I'm sure you knew that the 'tax assessed value' of Greek property is often significantly lower than the sale price. As far as I'm aware neither new nor illegal as yet.

It seems such a pity that Rhodes Property Owner seems not to believe the contents of this Rip-off report, but they can be assured that everything contained within it can be proved as FACT via either Photo, video, Email or original copies of the plans, building Licence and Land registry entry. FACTS....1) Building Licence is for 3 link detached buildings of 55m2 living space each. 2) The buildings are actually detached and stand at 100m2 each. 3) Purchase price of 215,000 Euro. 4) Land registry entry showing only 110,000 Euro. 5) Savvaidis Associates advertised and sold this property as 100m2 detached villas. 6) The legal papers show it to be a link Detached property. 7) The legal representative used for the transaction was suggested by Savvaidis.8)The swimming pool was constructed without a Licence. 9) Savvaidis as the agent should have made sure that all paperwork was in order.10) For the sale of this villa to have been completed then Savvaidis Associates were either INCOMPETANT or INVOLVED in this deception ? It is doubtful Rhodes Property Owner truly exists, more likely yet another hidden identity of the great man himself Savvas Savvaidis.

Another report full of lies.  Just check the facts yourself. 

I am afraid that it is very true but as everone knows now you only have to ask the Greeks, the English the Television or the internet you are full of it Savvaidis, full to brimming for Court Action

You should be locked up for many years when all the Villas you have sold come to light, shall we have a coca cola over it.

Many people cannot read Greek but we can see numbers, lot of tax you have kept with your illegal scams, how about the price you say was paid and what was actually paid a noce earner, alongwith basements, incorrect land size, incorrect splits, lies about licences shall I continue.

Everine who reads this wath the television programme homes from hell week 29 ww July 2010 its on ITV Player also see ripoffreport

This man is a crook

The facts are not checked and certainly not reported accurately; these stories are all fabricated if based on any truth at all